Donor Wanted
by LisaDawn75
Summary: Bella is a single, business-oriented woman who realizes that the one thing she is missing in life is a child. When she decides to take matters into her own hands, however, things might go down a different path.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **This is a oneshot that my amazing ficwife,** EternallyCullen** and I wrote for the "Trying for a Baby Contest" here on fanficiton dot net. We are OVER THE MOON to have won 1st place Public Vote and 2nd place Judges Choice – THANK YOU SO MUCH to Gemma and Laura for hosting – we had a blast writing this.

**Summary: Bella is a single, business-oriented woman who realizes that the one thing she is missing in life is a child. When she decides to take matters into her own hands, however, things might go down a different path.**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing related to Twilight. It all belongs to the great Stephenie Meyer. We are just playing with her characters for your and our amusement.**

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><p><em>Roses are red,<em>

_Violets are blue,_

_Now jizz in this pot,_

_You know what to do._

Nope...

_Baby daddy required._

Nope... didn't need the daddy part – just the donor.

_Lone woman, 35, seeks sperm donor. No relationship required. No sex. Good looks not essential. _

Shit, that did sound far too desperate, but I couldn't exactly be fussy. Was I fussy? Not particularly. But who in their right mind would answer an ad like that?

It was three days after my thirty-fifth birthday that things started to go downhill. All of my best friends were married with children – some on their second or third. And then there was me. Bella. Always the babysitter and godmother. I was never the mommy, and I wanted a baby more than anything.

Although my busy career took up the majority of my time, I longed to be like my friends. I was no good at relationships. The guys I dated thought I was boring – I think. It was rare to get beyond the awkward second date make out session on my front porch.

I'm not quite sure why the third date never happened. I was average looking, slim, definitely not fugly; under my clothes, everything still pointed the right way and was kept appropriately groomed and clean. The guys I dated never wanted to see what was under the clothes, however.

My mother called me on my birthday – you know, to wish me _many happy __returns_,and all that bullshit. We exchanged our pleasantries, and I told her that I was planning to go out to the bar after work with some colleagues, and we'd have a few drinks.

My mother had hummed in all the right places, and then asked the dreaded question. "So, Bella, how's the love life? Are you taking a date out?"

"Nope; going stag, Mom. Just me, myself, and I, this year," I told her.

My mother sighed heavily into the phone. "Isabella, you are my only child. If you don't hurry up and get your ass in gear, I'm never going to have any gorgeous grandchildren to spoil, now am I? It's getting to the stage where you can't afford to be picky. Your biological clock is ticking."

_Tick tock... tick fucking tock!_

That conversation always came up – bi-monthly, usually. My mother had me when she was just twenty. She and my father married after they graduated high school, and less than eighteen months later, she was pregnant. She and my dad had split when I was a few months old, and I spent years moving around the country with my hair-brained mother, until I decided to settle back down in Forks, Washington, with my father when I was seventeen. Mom had met and married her new husband – a minor league baseball player, Phil – and their extracurricular activities had begun to piss me off.

No, I knew that my mother had not wanted me to follow in her footsteps and have a baby, causing me to settle down too young. She would always push me to think about my life and career. Although she never admitted to me being a regret_, _I knew that deep down, Renee always wondered _what if..._

But of course, now that I was getting _old _and the clock was nearing its last chime, it was time I thought about getting myself knocked up. So, that was exactly what I decided to do.

The whole dating thing clearly hadn't worked for me, so I was just asking for a donor – someone who would give me some of their man juice for me to impregnate myself with. The more I'd thought about it, the more I wanted a child for myself. I had so much to share. There were a ton of single mothers out there who did a wonderful job of raising their kids. If they could do it, then a strong, independent, business-minded woman like myself could surely do it, too... right?

_A 35 year old broody woman seeks sperm donor. No relations required. I'm desperate to be a mother. Please, can you help?_

Jesus... how in the hell did I word this without sounding too desperate?

_Business woman seeks change of career. I'm single and want to be a mother. Donor required. Call for more information._

Bingo. Ad created.

~DW~

"So, you wanna hook up, baby?"

"Fuck, woman, do you think we're idiots? You honestly expect me to believe that you just want my jizz? You don't want sex... you just want me to cum into a pot? And you won't ask for anything else? Ever? What the fuck ever."

"You're a freak... placing an ad to trap a dude and get laid?"

_Hmmm… perhaps I should have been clearer in the ad. _I had been planning on just using something like a turkey baster. Although it would be pretty nice, I didn't think that the emotional contact would be that great. Also, it wasn't like I was being fussy. I just wanted a kid. Providing it had everything where it should be, I didn't mind what it looked like. The father could be anyone – hence, just wanting the man-juice, and not the man himself.

I had considered calling a couple of sperm banks, but that just seemed so... clinical. I did, at least, want to lay eyes on whose jizz I was going to impregnate myself with. At least I'd have an idea of what kind of kid I'd have.

The calls continued throughout the next couple of days. Some men just wanted to get laid, and some did seem genuinely interested in the bigger details of my advertisement. The problem was that they didn't seem to understand that I wasn't planning on roping them into paying me child support or wanting them to fill the actual _daddy _role. I guessed they had the right to be a little concerned. I figured it couldn't be a normal request.

"_Why don't you just go out to some bar and get yourself laid, darlin'?" _one guy asked me. Oh, if only it was that simple. If only he knew that even that didn't work for _me_.

Instead of going thereand telling him that I really wasn't into the one night stand thing, I explained about ovulation and the process of waiting until the time was right. I knew there was a short period of time in one month when a woman was at her most fertile... and basically, you had around seventy two hours to get that little swimmer in there. I guess that sort of freaked the guy out; he said he would think about it and call me back.

I was starting to lose all hope, when my cell beeped at me. I picked it up and examined the text message. I'd had a couple of messages from interested parties, but they had all read along the lines of, "I'll b ur babydaddy, when u wnt 2 fuck?"

**Hello, I'm sending a message in response to your ad. I'd like to know some **more. May** I give you a call? - E.**

I quickly typed out a reply:

**Hi, E. Thanks for your text. It's a complicated situation. I just want to let you know that this isn't a joke, and if you decide to call, please just take things into consideration. B.**

An hour passed, and I was still staring at the screen of the phone. I didn't know why, but there was something about his articulate message. He was the only one who had texted, who didn't use that horribly annoying text speak.

Finally, my cell rang, and I recognized the number as the same one that had texted me.

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was steeling myself for a rejection. "Hello."

I wasn't expecting the smooth velvet voice at the other end. "Hi, this is Edward. I sent you a text message about your... ad."

His voice was so sexy... delicious almost, like dripping chocolate. "Hi, Edward; thanks for calling. I'm Bella." Maybe a hook-up wouldn't be too bad...

"Hi, Bella."

The line went quiet, and it took me a moment to realize that he was probably waiting for me to explain.

"I know this sound weird, Edward," I began, trying to breathe. Dammit, why was I so nervous? "Basically, I'm single, and I've not had much luck in the dating game recently, but I'm thirty-five years old. I want to be a mother. If you decide to go through this, I expect nothing from you. I won't hunt you down and try and take your money. I won't ask you for a thing. Jesus, if Edward isn't even your real name, I don't care. You don't have to tell me anything."

"It is," he said.

"It is what?" I asked, confused.

"Edward is my real name."

"Oh... okay, that's cool."

"Listen, Bella... I've never answered an ad like this before, so I feel a little strange. Something about the words you put on that page intrigued me. Can I ask, though, why you are comfortable having a baby with just anybody?"

I sighed deeply. "Like I said... the whole dating thing has been hard for me. I've not been in a long term relationship for a long time. I work long hours, and the men I've dated have not been great. I am so desperate to change my life around. I've made it good for myself. I have a good job, my own home... but I'm lonely. There's a void I need to fill, and that's a child. I love my job, but I can't wait to stop working and become a mother. Time is running out for me, Edward. I'm scared to wake up one day and be forty years old – my cat tucked up at the bottom of my bed – and know that it's all over for me..." I sniffed gently. Wow. This was the first time I'd cried when on the phone to a potential donor_._

"Okay... listen, Bella. I'd like to think about this, okay? But please, let me tell you some things about me first."

"No, Edward, you don't have to—"

"I want to. I would feel terrible if I agreed to help you out, and then you regretted the decision later on."

"Okay, go ahead," I said nervously.

"I'm thirty-seven, and I'm single. I've been so for the past five years. I live in Seattle, currently with my parents, as I've just switched jobs. I'm six feet two inches, and I like to run. I work in IT for a large firm in the city. Mainly, I fix the computers in the building, but I dabble in a little web design. I work long hours. I don't really go out too often; my work friends try and pull me along to bars after hours, but that isn't really my scene. I like to read and cook... I'm boring, in a nutshell, so if you want your child to have some sense of adventure, then I'm probably not the best candidatefor the job."

"I don't care what you do, Edward. A child's future is based on its upbringing. I don't have much of a social life, either. Heck, when I was at college, I was still a hermit."

Edward chuckled into the phone, and it sent a very good sort of shiver down my spine. "That's okay. I was a dork then, and I still get accused of it now."

"Okay. Well, if you're sure... how do we go about this? Do we meet?" _Or do you__ wanna just drop the little cup off? Special delivery!_ I wondered if the post office had any restrictions on mailing sperm.

I swallowed. Wow, was this really going to happen?

"I mean swimmers – semen – can only last so long, so it's best that it's handed over and the job done pretty quickly."

"That sounds... romantic," he joked with me.

I smiled. "Yeah, well, I heard that romance is dead."

"Bella... I don't know if this is what you want, but I want to make sure that you're making the right decision. Please, before we agree to do this, would you join me for a drink? If you don't like what you see, then you can walk away. I really would like to help you."

"Yes... yeah, I guess we could do that, Edward."

~DW~

I poked around at the little olive floating in my drink. I looked at my wristwatch for the twentieth time; I was still early. He wasn't late, yet. I had given him a quick description of what I looked like, and if he'd been late, I would have been worried that he'd spotted me, taken one look, and dashed out of the front door again. I didn't know much about Edward, aside from the fact that he was coming straight from work, so he would be wearing a gray suit, that he was six feet two, and had crazy hair.

I speared my olive with the sharp end of the cocktail stick and put it in my mouth.

"Bella?"

I almost choked as I raised my eyes and came into visual contact with a denim crotch. I spluttered slightly and felt a hand on my back, slapping at it gently.

"Bella?" the voice asked again.

I closed my eyes and nodded, waving my hand in front of my face to let the man know I was okay and not dying.

"Edward?" I managed. I opened my eyes and realized I was just inches from a pair of deep green eyes. He was kneeling in front of my chair now. His hair – like he had mentioned – was a little crazy, as if he'd spent the entire day pulling at it and running his hands through it. It was a weird color, too – not red, not brown... hell, not even auburn. It was more bronze. His features were chiseled, and his jaw and cheekbones were to die for. He. Was. Beautiful.

This was the man that was hopefully going to agree to jack off into a pot for me? _The old-fashioned way didn't look so unappealing from this angle._

"Yes, that's me."

"You didn't come straight from work?" I asked him as he sat down at the table, directly opposite me.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and pulled at his hair – I was right about that.

"Dammit, okay, Bella. I'm really sorry. I have a confession... I realized on the way here that I had to tell you. I know you said that it's not important, but I don't work in IT. I _used _to work in some sort of data-inputting areas, but two years ago, I quit that, and I now work from home."

I took another look at his choice of clothing. Very different from the suit I'd expected him to show up in, but he looked utterly hot in his low slung light washed jeans and Batman t-shirt.

"What do you do from home, Edward?"

He looked up at me and bit his tongue. "I draw for Marvel comics."

My eyes widen with surprise. "Marvel... as in the comic books?"

He nodded and wrung his hands.

"Oh, my God, that's so awesome!"

Edward looked up in surprise, his mouth slightly open. He clearly hadn't expected that reaction from me.

"I'm a bit of a comic book whore; call it my geek within. What are you working on?"

"Well... erm... I've been doing some work on Iron Man. It's my dream job. I spent years sending them my illustrations, and almost three years ago, they finally contacted me. It's incredible." His eyes were alight with passion.

"That's so cool. Wow, Edward. Much more exciting than my job. I'm an accountant. Although I love it, I think I'm done now. I want to sort my life out and have something more than just a job. I'm thinking of turning it into a home business eventually, so I can work from home if I manage to have a baby."

Edward leaned across the table. "I would like to be the one to give you that baby, Bella. If you will still have me?"

"Why?" I breathed. "What on Earth possessed you to reply to that ad?"

He leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair again, pushing it out of his eyes using his glasses, which he perched on top of his head.

"I'd never used that site before. I guess I was looking for something... a date, perhaps. I was looking through, and nothing caught my eye. That is, until I saw yours. I don't know what drew me to it, but I knew I had to find out more. My time is running out, too, Bella. I'm almost forty; I do a job which, in all honesty, no one respects me for. They think it's just a phase; my parents are giving me a tough time, telling me I need to get myself a wife. My sister-in-law tells me that I won't ever get one, as long as I'm spending all my time reading comics."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Edward's eyes flashed to mine. "Funny?"

"No, actually, not at all. I'm having the same issues with my mother. _You need to find a husband, __Isabella. Give__ me grandbabies, Isabella._ I'm getting sick of it, but I guess she made me realize what exactly it is I crave in my life."

"We really are a pair, aren't we?" he asked with a crooked smile.

I couldn't help but agree with him. Our waitress came over and took our drink orders. Edward ordered a bottle of Corona, and I had the same.

"So, are we going to do this? You really want to help me?" I asked him.

Edward nodded. "I was wondering, though... maybe I could see the baby. If you don't want me in its life, then that's fine. I understand, but if you would let me... or maybe send me a photo or something..."

Wow. I had never expected that at all. I didn't know what to say to him. "You'd want to be a part of its life?"

Edward pulled at his hair again. "Shit... Hell... I don't know, Bella. I want to help you, but I guess we're both longing for the same thing. I also want something I can call my own – my own flesh and blood."

I bit my lip – hard. "Edward..."

He shook his head. "Dammit, I'm sorry. I never should have opened my big mouth. I'm a deadbeat; you wouldn't want me in your child's life."

"Wait, I didn't say that. Edward, honestly, anyone who wouldn't want you as a father to their child is plain stupid... I know that I've only known you for what – thirty minutes – but I can tell that you are not a loser. You have a very cool job. You obviously love what you do, and shit, what little kid _wouldn't _love knowing their daddy helped make the world's most famous comic books?"

Edward looked at me in amazement, and I swore that he blushed. "Well, that's very kind of you, but I understand if you just want to do this alone. I'll still help you out, if that's what you want."

I had a lot to think about. Shit. He seemed genuine enough. But the deal had been that I was going to go it alone and not have to worry about some guy sticking his nose in; the plan had been to become a single mother.

"Can I think about it?" I hated to ask, but it was a huge decision.

"Of course you can. The ball is in your court, Bella. Another drink?"

"You trying to get me drunk?"

"Would it alter your decision?" he teased.

"Probably not. But I will warn you, I'm a friendly drunk."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not," I said with a chuckle.

Yeah, looking at him in his jeans and t-shirt, I was definitely playing with the idea of forgetting the turkey baster. But it was just a dream... he wouldn't want to do _that _with me. I ordered another martini, and Edward ordered another Corona.

"So, how do you like accounting?" he asked.

I figured he was just trying to make small talk, but with the alcohol beginning to flow through my system, I found that my tongue was loosened up. I could sure as hell think of ways to loosen it up further.

I told him all about my job, my co-workers, and some of my most flamboyant clients – maintaining confidentiality, of course.

I had probably talked for a good thirty minutes before I stopped. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, Edward," I said, my articulation a bit slurred at this point. "I've monopolized the entire conversation."

He smiled at me, making my heart flutter. That was some damn strong alcohol. It had nothing to do with the beautiful man sitting across from me.

_Yeah__, right, Bella._

"It's all right, Bella. It's nice to get to know you a bit. So, your mom's on you about having a baby, huh? My mom has been on me to find a good girl and settle down, but not many women are into the same things I am, so it's hard to get past that first or second date."

I nodded profusely. "I know, right? Most of the men I've been out with find me boring – which I know I am, but still. And my mom is chomping at the bit, wanting a grandchild to spoil. I'm an only child, so I'm her only chance to have one."Tilting my head at him, I asked, "Do you have brothers or sisters? You mentioned a sister-in-law..."

He nodded, his glasses slipping down from his forehead. It was adorable. "Yeah, I have a couple of brothers; one's married, and the other has a steady girlfriend. So, I'm the dweeb of the family."

The alcohol was coursing pleasantly through my system. "You're not a dweeb, Edward. If you are, then so am I, because we both enjoy the same things, it sounds like."

He smiled at me again, and I could feel a bit of dampness in my underwear. What the hell? This was supposed to be a business meeting! "So, tell me more about what you do," I requested, not just to shift the spotlight from me, but also so I could hear that silky voice again.

He told me about his childhood and growing up with two brothers; he was the middle child. He told me about his college years, and how he'd always been the _friend _to the girls, but never the boyfriend.

I hurt for him, as I could relate. I knew how it felt to always be considered "one of the guys," but never the girl.

"Have you been in a serious relationship before?" I asked, my words beginning to slur a bit; I was feeling a bit bolder.

He nodded his head. "Once; we broke up about five years ago."

"I'm sorry," I said, and I was. I was sorry for him; I was sorry that he had spent his life alone but yet doing my own internal happy dance. Would this beautiful specimen of a man actually agree to hand his sperm over? He was so lovely, and I was so plain; surely a child made between the two of us would be somewhat attractive. Not that it mattered to me. I just wanted a healthy baby.

He shrugged. "It's okay. We just weren't meant to be together. She didn't support my dream of drawing for Marvel."

I shook my head. "I still think that's fabulous. What a cool job to have."

"Thanks," he said, blushing.

We made small talk for a few more moments, and the alcohol kept flowing. He, however, could hold his liquor a bit better than I could. Or maybe it was my nerves.

"Bella, did you drive here?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

I shook my head. "I took a cab."

"Me, too. Would you be interested in sharing a cab home?" he asked, his lovely green eyes downcast.

I nodded vigorously. "Sure, sounds great!"

He lifted his head and flashed that gorgeous smile at me again. How had no other woman snatched him up yet?

Edward took care of getting the cab, and he helped me in, as I was a bit wobbly. Thank God the next day was Saturday. I didn't think I would be able to make it to work with the hangover I knew was on the way.

I gave the driver my address, and we sped off into the Friday night Seattle traffic.

We were silent for several minutes, but it wasn't that God-awful awkward silence you would hear about. I chewed lightly on my lip, my head still spinning. I watched as Edward wrung his hands nervously, and then began to fiddle with a hangnail.

"When am I going to see you again?" I suddenly blurted out.

"Um, well, I guess that's up to you," he mumbled. "I know you have a lot to think about, but I still want to help you, Bella."

"Okay," I whispered. We were pulling up in front of my townhouse. "You wanna come in for some coffee?" I offered, surprised when he accepted.

Edward paid the cab driver, and we walked up the brick path to my house.

I unlocked the door, flipping the light on. It was getting chilly, so I asked Edward to start the fireplace, while I went into the kitchen and placed a pot of coffee on.

When I walked into the living room with two cups of steaming coffee, the gas fireplace was flickering nicely, beginning to dispel the chill in the room. I sat down on the couch, opposite Edward, and handed him a cup.

"Thank you," he replied shyly.

I wondered how many females' homes he'd been in recently.

"Thank you for the drinks," I replied, since he had insisted on paying the tab.

We sat in a comfortable silence, just watching the flames flicker and sipping our coffee. Before I could register what was occurring, I felt Edward's fingers brushing against my hair and skimming across my cheek. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. I unconsciously leaned into his soft touch.

Suddenly, I felt Edward's lips brushing over my cheek, and I opened my eyes to see his emerald eyes right in front of me. I had not felt him move over on the couch, but I was still tipsy, and he had been distracting me with his fingers.

I stared into the endless depths and felt as if I was falling. All thoughts of the original reason for our meeting were gone, and all I knew was that I had to touch this beautiful creature in front of me. I slowly lifted my hand up and stroked my fingers down the smooth skin of his cheek, gliding across his lower lip. I gasped when he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and held my arm steady, placing a light kiss upon my fingers.

Before I knew it, I had turned around on the couch and was winding the fingers of my free hand through his hair, pulling his face closer to mine. I could smell the Corona on his breath, and briefly wondered how my breath smelled, but he didn't seem to mind as he moved his face closer to mine.

I jumped slightly as his lips brushed against mine, and I eagerly pulled him closer. He let go of my wrists and moved to cup my cheeks. I pulled him closer and parted my lips, sighing when his tongue slipped into my mouth. He tasted so good.

I heard him moan under his breath, so bravely, I moved, climbing up onto my knees and sitting in his lap, straddling him. I honestly don't ever recall being so bold with a man – let alone someone who was more or less a perfect stranger.

His hands slid slightly under my skirt that I had worn to the office that day, and I heard a moan slip from between my lips. His fingers were soft – so soft.

"Bella?" he whispered.

"Shhh," I answered. "It's all right."

"I-I just want you to know that I didn't come here for this. I really don't have a lot of experience with women." His voice was shaking.

I leaned back and put my index finger over his lips. "It's all right. I didn't exactly plan on this, either, but it just feels... right… to me."

He brushed his lips along my jaw line. "Me, too," he murmured.

I twisted my fingers into his bronze locks and massaged his scalp as his amazing lips and mouth worked their way along my throat, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. I pulled myself closer, gasping as I experimentally rocked against him. I felt his arousal straining against his jeans between us; he really did want me.

He groaned as I pressed down onto him, causing me to smile. Considering that I had not done this much, it was nice to know that I could elicit a response from a man.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" His fingers were slowly sliding up my bare thighs, and I jumped when he brushed against my panties.

I was close to panting at this point, and I wiggled, trying to create some friction. I know it was crazy – and I was a million miles from it – but I suddenly felt like a born again virgin: nervous, excited, and so very, very wet.

"You think we should move to the bedroom?" I whispered, chancing a glance over at the bay window, which looked out onto the street. I was not an exhibitionist, but part of me hoped some of my neighbors had at least seen Edward enter my house, so they'd know I wasn't a complete loser.

Edwards lips were parted, and his breathing hard. He gazed at me through hooded eyes, which were still partially masked by his sexy black glasses. He nodded once and swallowed hard. "Sure... if you want... I mean if you're sure?"

I nodded. "I'm sure. If you're sure. I mean, I'm sure if you're sure..."

I felt like an idiot. Maybe he didn't want to? That would figure... just like all of my other dates.

He swallowed, tracing his fingers across my thighs again. "I-I'm sure, Bella."

He looked like a little boy who'd been caught in the cookie jar. It made me want him even more. I stood up off of his lap and pulled him toward the stairs. He followed me willingly.

I closed the door behind us and hovered nervously besides the frame. Edward stayed close by and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He looked so nervous – frightened, and yet so attractive. I knew that I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anyone, and the alcohol was still giving me the much needed buzz and courage.

I walked up to him, where he still stood by the door, and ran my hands up under his Batman t-shirt, shivering at the ripples of muscle I felt. He certainly had a runner's body under those clothes. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the door.

"Oh, my God, Bella," he groaned. Suddenly, he was pulling my hands away. "I-I'm sorry, but it's been a-areallylongtimeandIdon'tquiteknowwhattodo," he stumbled out, his words running together.

He was looking to me for advice? Ha! This would be interesting, to say the least.

"It's all right, Edward," I soothed. "I'm not an expert myself. We'll just do what feels natural."

He sighed in relief. Surely he didn't think I was some sex goddess with a lot of notches on my headboard?

"Okay," he said, running his fingers across my jaw and pulling me up to meet his lips. They were soft and warm, yet strong. How had some woman not already jumped his bones? He was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen.

I pulled him toward my bed, which was in the center of the room. I must have misjudged the distance, because my legs hit the mattress suddenly, and I fell backward, pulling Edward down on top of me. We both landed with an "oomph."

I pulled his glasses off, and his mouth latched onto my neck again, causing the most wonderful sensations to shoot throughout my body. I ran my hands up under his shirt and pulled it over his head, finally exposing his beautiful physique to my eyes. I ran my fingernails lightly over his skin, earning myself a low groan.

"Bella..." he moaned, and I smiled up at him. This was really gonna happen!

He pulled at the hem of my shirt, and I lifted up slightly so he could pull it over my head. He groaned again and buried his face in the valley between my breasts.

The skin on skin contact was almost too much for me, and I jerked, wanting to feel all of him. He quickly took the hint and stood up, pulling his jeans off so fast that he almost fell into the floor. We both giggled, and I wiggled out of my skirt, leaving us in only our undergarments.

I felt giddy, and I didn't know if it was the situation or from the four too many martinis I had consumed in a short period of time without anything substantial lining my stomach. I pulled him with me so that we were both seated side by side on the edge of my bed. My eyes roamed hungrily across his utterly gorgeous body, and I was practically salivating. His artistically sculpted abs fell into a perfect V and trailed under the waistband of his boxers. I had to admit that I was disappointed that they were plain black.

I had been expecting Captain America's face all over them.

I ran my index finger across the waistband, grinning to myself when he shuddered. I slowly pulled them down to his knees, where he kicked them off the rest of the way, making me gasp. His arousal was much larger than I had been expected, and I felt a jolt run through my abdomen. This was really gonna happen! Oh, it had been so long.

He grasped the elastic of my panties and pulled them down my legs; I quickly unsnapped my bra, leaving me open to inspection. His eyes wandered from my head to my bare toes, and I quickly hurried under the covers. I pulled them back, patting the bed beside me.

Was I really going to have sex with someone I'd just met by placing that ad?

Yes. Yes, I was. And I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

I gasped as Edward slid his fingers over my bare skin, clutching at my breast. I could tell it had been a while since he had done this, as it was a bit painful, but it may have been because I was a wuss, too. All thoughts of pain disappeared when he ducked his head under the covers and took my other breast into his mouth, his tongue laving circles around my nipple.

Oh, holy fucking hell... that was nice.

I figured that neither of us would last very long, so I took his other hand and pried it from my flesh, pushing at his arm. He obviously didn't get the clue, as he began to knead the flesh over my ribs, which tickled a bit. I pushed again, this time guiding his fingers to the moist flesh between my thighs.

He looked at me with wide eyes, and I gave him a brilliant smile to let him know that was what I wanted.

"Bella?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"Please, Edward," I pleaded. At this point, I wasn't above begging. I guided his hand again, and when his fingers first slid through my moist folds, I about came on the spot. Damn, had it really been that long?

"Oh, sweet Jesus," he moaned, laying his head upon my chest. His fingers jerked, causing me to cry out.

He looked up at me, his face full of concern. "Did I hurt you?"

"Oh... um... no, Edward, just please... please do that again." I wiggled my hips, trying to get his fingers to move in the same rhythm.

He answered my silent prayer, and slid his fingers against me again.

"Fuck," I moaned. I managed to slide my hands under the covers and took him in my hands, marveling at the velvety soft hardness I felt.

Okay, that was it. I couldn't stand it anymore. "Please, Edward," I begged, pulling one leg up and trying to hook it over his other hip, but accidentally hitting him in the nose.

"Ow," he muttered, holding his nose.

"Oh, shit, Edward; I'm so sorry," I said, my hands over my face. Who the hell was I kidding? I wasn't sure how to do this. I felt my traitorous blush spread all across my body. I'd screwed it up and probably broken his nose in the process.

"It's okay," he said, his hands already back on my body. "But that seems like something I'd do," he teased, causing me to laugh.

"Sorry. I'm just way out of practice with this," I explained, my face and chest flushing an even brighter red in embarrassment.

He grinned sheepishly at her. "So am I."

He adjusted his position so that his erection was lined up with my opening. He slid up and down a few times, causing me to forget the entire episode. The feeling of his length brushing along my folds caused me to want him even more, and I couldn't help it when my fingernails bit into his shoulder so I could wriggle my center closer to him. The friction between us was one of the most perfect and delicious feelings ever.

"Mmmm, that's heavenly," I murmured. I gasped when he began to push forward into me.

"Fuck," he mumbled, his head thrown back.

He had stilled totally, and his breathing was hard. I relaxed my legs around him and gazed up at him, imploring him to move further within me. He wasn't even half way inside of me, yet I felt stretched. More... I needed more from him.

I was gripping the sheets so tightly, my knuckles were turning white, as I tried not to thrust up against him.

Suddenly, with one thrust, he was buried completely. I managed to open my eyes, and the sheer bliss on his face was a beautiful sight to behold. My body was shocked at the sudden intrusion – but nothing about it was bad._ Absolutely nothing at all. _His eyes were screwed tightly shut, and I willed him to open them up to look at me. I felt him relax, his lips parting and his tongue swiping over his bottom lip. His eyes met mine; they were so soft.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to me.

I could only nod, but managed to wrap my arms around his back, pulling him closer to me. The feeling of his body weight covering me was wonderful, so I locked my legs around him and wriggled my hips, begging him to move.

He began to thrust his hips at a steady pace, and I moved with him, meeting his gentle movements. When his fingers reached down to massage my flesh where the two of us were joined, I arched off of the bed, crying out his name. Yeah. I was right. Didn't take long at all.

Edward followed soon after, calling my name. Hearing my name fall from his perfect lips caused me to contract around him once more.

It was the most intense experience of my life. Okay, perhaps it didn't last as long as I would have liked, but we both gained pretty damn good climaxes from the experiences, and if Edward wasn't lying about his lack of experience_, _then I guess two minutes was acceptable. I really wasn't complaining, because it really was very good – definitely in my top three favorite sexual encounters. He'd taken enough care to make sure that I came. All in all, a very good lay.

He collapsed on top of me, panting. I ran my fingers through his silky hair, and he pulled his face up, placing a soft kiss on my lips. He then flopped over, breathing heavily, and stared at the ceiling.

"Give me a few minutes, and I'll get out of your hair," he said.

Panic seized my chest. I didn't want him to go. "You don't have to run off," I said quickly. "I mean, you're welcome to stay, since it's so late," I added, trying not to sound so desperate.

I was worried he might have been one to live by the "wham bam, thank you ma'am" motto.

"You sure?" he asked, his green eyes locked onto my own brown ones.

I nodded slightly and scooted into his embrace when he opened his arms for me. I sighed in contentment and felt the events of the day, along with the alcohol flowing through my system, pulling me under.

For the first time in forever, I fell asleep, wrapped in the safety of a strong embrace.

~DW~

_Urghh... oh fuck... my head... ouch... God... alcohol bad... so very, VERY bad. _

I hated it when you woke up to a pounding head and a dry-as-hell sandpaper mouth. I groaned and tried to roll over, but struggled. I glanced down at my waist, to see that there was a large arm draped across me.

_What the... ohhhhh... Oh, shit..._

I closed my eyes for a moment and looked down at my state of undress – totally buck naked and covered only by my comforter – and a hairy arm.

Very carefully, I lifted the sleeping arm away from me and slipped out from under the covers. I leaned over and pulled a huge nightshirt out of my chest of drawers, slipping it on. I could barely breathe, in fear that I'd wake the man up. I trailed my mind over the events of the previous night.

Edward. Bar. Martinis and Corona. Babydaddy. We took a cab... We kissed... We... we fucked.

The slight throbbing and soreness between my legs confirmed this.

I slowly turned around and examined the man in my bed, praying that he looked as pretty as I remembered in my drunken state.

Edward was lying on his stomach, his arm where I'd left it on my side of the bed. His head was facing me, and his eyes were shut as he breathed deeply and slowly; his lips were pouty and slightly parted. He let out a gentle snore and shifted, pulling his arm back in towards him.

He was _beautiful_. There was a gorgeous man in my bed... asleep. He had taken me home and made love to me... and then spent the night. He looked so peaceful laying there, soft stubble already on his chin. I ached to reach out and see if it was as soft as it looked. I didn't want to risk waking him, though.

I tiptoed to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I stood at the counter, looking at myself. The little make-up I'd worn the day before was smudged under my eyes, and my hair looked as though I'd been rolling in a hay barn. My cheeks were flushed, and my lips slightly swollen. My eyes, however, looked bright and happy. Yeah. I looked as though I'd been given a good seeing to, which I guess was true.

I used the toilet and washed up, cleaning the smudged eyeliner away and brushing the alcohol away from my teeth and mouth. I ran a brush through my tangled hair and quickly tied it into a low ponytail. I grabbed a pair of panties from the bathroom closet and slipped them on, immediately feeling a little more decent. I'd stupidly left my robe in the bedroom – and I had no plans on going back in there.

In the kitchen, I wondered if Edward was a coffee drinker. Perhaps he liked hot tea? _Damn, I'm bad at this... it's THAT obvious it's been years since I had a man in my house, let alone in my bed. _I slowly began to make the coffee. My stomach growled angrily of hunger and the evil booze that continued to slosh around. My head was still pounding, so I filled myself a glass of icy cold water.

I pulled out a chair from the dining table and dragged it to the counter so I could reach up and get the Tylenol. I carefully balanced myself and opened the cupboard. I was about to turn around, pills in hand, and close the door once again, but a noise behind me startled me, and I jumped slightly, losing my footing.

Before I even had time to curse and close my eyes, I was caught in warm arms. He gripped me around the middle. My heart was pounding, and my breathing erratic.

"Something else I would do," he whispered into my ear as he helped me back to my feet.

I blushed beet red as I remembered elbowing him in the nose the night before.

"S... sorry; thanks."

I quickly spun around and leaned on the counter. I couldn't even look at him. I was so freaking embarrassed!

"I smelled the coffee," he informed me, and I felt coolness as he moved away from me to lean against the counter nearby.

"I was about to get something to eat. Are you hungry?" I asked, still not able to make eye contact with the gorgeous man in my kitchen.

I allowed my eyes to trail across the floor. I could see that he was wearing his jeans once again, but his feet were bare. I took a deep breath and moved my eyes north. The Batman t-shirt was fully in place. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or disappointed that he was wearing it.

"If you don't mind, I'm pretty hungry." He smiled as I finally managed to look at his face. His hair was wonderfully disheveled, and the stubble suited him. I noticed he'd put his glasses back on, and they were already slipping down his nose. "Good morning, Bella," he murmured.

I smiled at him and took a deep breath, the bottle of pills still clutched tightly between my fingers. "Morning. Sorry, I'm feeling a little... erm... fragile this morning. I don't drink very often. I apologize if I said – or did – anything embarrassing last night."

Edward's beautiful face suddenly fell, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Oh... oh, shit, Bella. I'm... I'm sorry. If I had realized that you were... I would have never. Jesus, fuck, I'm such an asshole."

I almost choked on my pills and water as I spluttered, "No... no, please, don't think that. Last night was great, Edward. I knew exactly what was going on; things are just a little... hazy… this morning, that's all."

Edward looked up at me, uncertainly plain on his beautiful features. "Are you sure, Bella? Because the last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of you."

"You didn't, Edward. I promise. I guess I never expected you to still be here in the morning, that's all."

"You asked me to stay."

"I know; I'm so pleased that you did... and that you wanted to. I just assumed that you would want to leave... you know."

He frowned at me slightly. "Ahhh, you thought I'd leave without saying goodbye."

I nodded and flushed once again. "Yeah, I guess. Like I said, I've not had much experience in this."

"Me, neither. I'd certainly never been asked to stay overnight until last night... well, this morning." He smirked at me through his long eyelashes.

My heart melted a little, and I stepped closer. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked me.

"For meeting me, for last night, for being... well, you."

He nodded slowly and took the mug of steaming coffee I'd poured him. "I think we have things that we need to talk about this morning, though..."

"I guess." Yes, I imagined that we now did have an awful lot to talk about. "You're having second thoughts, aren't you?"

"No... no. Not exactly. I told you that I wanted to help you, and I'm a man of my word, Bella, but I think that because of... well, because of what happened between the two of us last night… I think that it complicates things now**."**

I wanted to agree, but to disagree at the same time. "Uh huh. Sex complicates things a lot."

"I want to help you, and if that's all you want me for, I'm happy just to give you what you want. Call me back when you... when you hatch... ovulate... whatever it is you do, and we'll make arrangements. But I'd like to... shit... Bella, I don't know how to say it."

I couldn't speak. _Just say it... just say it, Edward. It put you off me... you never really want to see me again after this... shit._

"Bella, I like you... a lot. I hope you get that, especially after last night. I don't know if I'd be able to keep away from you if I helped you to have a child. I think... if we tried… that we could have something good together."

_Holy shit. Was he asking me out again? As in a real date? _"I think so, too, Edward," I replied, my eyes staring at the floor.

"Good," he said with a grin. "So... what's for breakfast?"

~DW~

Edward and I saw each other at a steady pace over the next couple of months. We really hadn't discussed handing off the package, so to speak. It wasn't as if I'd forgotten, but I was so taken by all of Edward, that I had trouble focusing on anything else.

Except for this damn stomach bug I had picked up last week. It seemed that as soon as I'd get better, here it would come again. It was all I had in me to make it to the office daily, so I hadn't seen Edward lately. We had exchanged some texts, however, and a few short phone calls.

So, it was a complete surprise when Edward showed up on my doorstep on a Saturday morning. We had plans for dinner and a movie, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep any dinner down. Not to mention, he was eight hours early.

"Hey, did I get our time wrong?" I asked, looking like death warmed over, I was sure.

He shook his head. "No, but I got to thinking about our agreement."

My stomach dropped. He was dumping me. He had decided not to help me, after all, and was dumping me on top of it. I wanted to cry, but held the tears at bay. "Okay..."

I was shocked when he held up a little, brown paper bag. "Bella, I think we need to do this."

My eyes lit up."So you're going to help me?" I asked excitedly.

He pushed the bag into my hand. "Take this into the bathroom. Like I said, I got to thinking about your symptoms last night..." He trailed off.

I opened the bag and peeked inside. "Oh."

It was a pregnancy test. Not exactly what I'd been expecting. Maybe a little _pot _of some sort, or perhaps some ovulation strips.

"You think that...?"

He nodded solemnly. "I think we need to check. I did some online research, and you have all of the symptoms."

Now that he had said it, I looked back on the last couple of months differently. _Oh, shit._

I nodded and turned to the bathroom, silently inviting him in by leaving the door open. I pulled the box out and read the instructions.

_Urinate on the small end of the stick, and then wait for five minutes. One line is positive, two lines are negative._

I sat down on the toilet and followed the instructions. I was a bit self-conscious, knowing Edward was in the other room and aware of what I was doing. I set the little stick on the back of the commode and washed my hands, and then I went back out into the living room, where Edward was perched on my couch, his faded Spiderman t-shirt making his eyes stand out even more than usual.

"Well?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "Now we wait five minutes and see how many lines we get." I sat down beside him, nervously wringing my hands. Now that the moment could actually be here, I was starting to panic.

He ran his hands through his hair. "Shit, Bella. I-I'm sorry. I mean, I know you want a baby, but I also know this wasn't how you planned it."

"But we've been careful," I said quietly. Even though I'd wanted a baby, he still always wore a condom.

"Not the first time," he whispered.

_Oh... oh, yeah. Wow._

I stood up, my legs wobbly. It was time. I walked into the bathroom, Edward trailing on my heels. I picked the little stick up and looked down into the window... at the one blue line staring me in the face.

Oh. My. God.

I was pregnant with Edward's child.

"What's it say?" he asked quietly as he leaned against the door frame.

I turned to him, knowing my face was a mask of desperation and excitement. "It's positive."

He swallowed. "That's a good thing, right?" He was paler than a ghost.

I looked back at the stick again. "Yes, that's a good thing. It was what we wanted, right?"

Edward nodded. "If you don't want me to stick around, now that you've gotten what you set after, I'll understand," he murmured, looking at the tile on the floor. "But if it's all right with you, I would like to help."

What did I want? I'd had this planned out to go it alone as a single mother. But now, standing before me, was a future I had never envisioned.

A friend. A boyfriend. A partner. A _child_.

And something which I'd never pictured, at least until that moment – a possible future husband. Was it even possible? Could we make it work? It was all so very new. Although we'd seen quite a lot of each other, we had not even started to label what exactlywe were to one another, apart from out first initial conversation regarding Edward wanting to fulfill the role as my donor... and then wanting _more. _

Edward and I were going to have a baby. And I knew right there that I wanted him by my side throughout the entire experience.

I linked my fingers through his, already picturing our baby being held in his strong arms. And I wanted it. I wanted it all. "I think I'd like that," I replied, and giggled when he bent down to kiss me, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"I'd like that, too."

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed happily as the tears ran down my cheeks.

Edward gathered me into his arms once again and kissed me hard.

I realized then I suddenly had everything I'd wanted.

_End Notes: So what do you think? After the positive reviews we had on the contest page, we are going to be adding more to this story and following their pregnancy, labor and of course time together with the baby. Do you think it's going to work out between them? What would you like to see? _

_Thanks to everyone who voted for this story to win on the contest. We have never won anything before, so we are elated with the results. I "squeed" very loudly several times this morning when I got the email! _

_Much love and please press REVIEW!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, first please accept our apologies for the time it took to get this chapter to you all. LisaDawn75 started a new job which left us both unable to talk to each other, seeing as we live on opposite sides of the planet. EternallyCullen has been suffering from writer's block, so it took us longer than usual to get this chapter done. But, we put our nose – and fingers – to the grindstone today and can now present chapter two to you!**

**Thanks, again, to everyone who voted for us in the Trying for a Baby contest. Thanks to you, we placed first in readers' choice and second in Judges' choice!**

**Disclaimer: We don't own, yada yada. You know the drill.**

* * *

><p>I still could not believe that I was pregnant. All it had taken was just one time. One time and clearly the right man with the right kind of man juice. I also couldn't believe that I had gone nine weeks without even realizing that I'd been knocked up. Pregnancy was something that I'd been longing for for a while, and as soon as I had a bun in my oven, I'd had no clue. It was my holy grail, and I hadn't even noticed it! It was actually pretty funny, thinking about it. Or not. I could only hope that the wine I'd managed to work my way though hadn't harmed the tiny little fetus in anyway.<p>

Then there was my baby-daddy. Edward Cullen. We'd become rather acquainted with each other after that first night we'd spent together. We'd only had sex three times, and apart from when I'd started getting sick – the stomach virus I _thought _I'd picked up – we'd spent most of our free time together. He was sweet and patient with me – and still very shy. He was a total dork, but I loved it. I also could see myself falling completely in love with him. I wasn't there yet –neither of us had really talked much since that morning in my bathroom – but we just began to spend more time together and tried to get to know one another.

My parents were still in the dark. Not totally – they knew that I had been seeing a guy, which, of course, my mother was super excited about, and the bi-weekly phone calls became almost daily. Renee wanted as much information about my new relationship as I'd give her. I tried to tell her that it was all very new, but somehow, I didn't think she entirely believed me. I guess we could call it mother's intuition – something I would be learning about in several months.

"So, when do we get to meet him? What is it you said that he did again? Comic books… really? And how old did you say he was... hmmm... well, so long as you know that he'll be able to support you." I started to lose track of the amount of times that I rolled my eyes during that last conversation. I tried to remain polite by answering and making certain noises in the right places.

Edward was working from his home most of the time, going into the office once, perhaps twice, a week. Most days, he would come over for dinner and get there just before I got home. One thing that I learned about him in the first few weeks of our _relationship,_ or whatever the hell we were calling it, was that he was a wonderful cook. He explained to me that his mother made sure that he and his brothers were proficient in the kitchen. Edward had kept that up, even living as a bachelor. I argued about him cooking me dinner so much, but he only smiled at me and told me that he liked to be able to cook for someone other than himself.

Yeah, that shut me up pretty quickly. He followed by telling me that he was enjoying taking care of me, as well – which was very sweet.

Swoon.

Neither of us knew anything about pregnancy and prenatal care, so Google was very helpful. I found out that I needed to book an appointment with an obstetrician to confirm the pregnancy, and at some point, we would get an ultrasound. Edward figured out that I'd been approximately nine weeks along when we found out that I was, in fact, expecting, so getting an appointment was important. I also realized that at the grand _old _age of thirty-five, I was classified as an older mother – therefore, high risk.

Hardee, har har.

Edward came with me to the first appointment. We sat nervously together in the waiting room, and he slipped his hand into mine and squeezed. It was slightly sweaty, but I expected mine was, too. I was eleven weeks along, at this point. There were other women there in their various stages of pregnancy – some with their partners, some alone, and others with screaming children in tow. They were called in, one by one, and it seemed like we were waiting forever and ever. The appointment itself wasn't too terrible. They gave me a pelvic exam. Edward blushed profusely and twisted in his chair so as not to look at me. He was still so shy about stuff like that. Our physical relationship had not changed since we'd discovered the pregnancy; he said he wanted to take it slowly, even though he'd already managed to knock me up with his super sperm. He told me that it was because he didn't want to screw anything up.

I guess I could understand that.

After all, I was the people's queen when it came to relationship fuck ups.

I found myself quickly becoming besotted with him. I loved his kindness and his tenderness. I started to keep my phone in my breast pocket when at work and not in its usual home of my purse – just because I longed for the device to buzz, alerting me to a text message or even an email.

By the time my second appointment came – during my fifteenth week of pregnancy – did I realize that yes, he had been truthful, and he was in it for the long haul.

Even though I had been dating and was now carrying the child of one of the most attractive men I'd ever met, I was still sexually frustrated. He'd not pushed any further with me than some pretty hot and heated kisses on my couch and on my doorstep as he left to go back to his own apartment in the evenings. I'd not wanted to push him myself. I mean, it wasn't as though we'd not _been _there before. I was knocked up and starting to show but even through all of this, I was happy. Sexually frustrated, but happy.

We waited in that bright waiting room once again, and I snuggled into his side when Edward leaned closer to me and slipped an arm across my shoulder, resting his other hand over my own on my knee. "Nervous?" he asked me for the hundredth time that morning.

I nodded mutely and turned my hand over, linking my fingers with his and giving a little squeeze. "Yeah," I breathed. "But it's going to be okay, right? Everything is going to be in the right place?" I asked him – which probably didn't help matters seeing as Edward actually seemed more concerned about the whole thing than I was.

Edward inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Oh, God, I hope so. But if not, just to let you know in advance, I'm sorry. I'm not sure if there is any special _technique _to baby making... they all make it seem so simple in the movies, right?"

I couldn't help but blush and smile up at him. "It _was_ easy, remember?" I prodded, reminding him of our first meeting which ultimately resulted in the little bean sprout that was currently making itself a home in my uterus.

Edward chewed on his lip and bit down hard. I reached up and pulled it out from between his teeth.

He opened his mouth and took another deep breath, looking as though he were about to say something else when my name was called by the nurse who had just opened the door to the exam rooms. "Isabella Sawn? Right this way."

"Here we go," I breathed and got to my feet. I held my hand out for Edward who stood and didn't let go as we walked out of the waiting room and along the corridor to the exam room. My OB nurse was waiting for me.

"Hey, Isabella," she greeted warmly, as she reached forward and took my hand. I didn't bother to correct her with the name thing as she immediately turned to Edward. "Hey, Daddy... Edward, isn't it?"

"That's right; nice to see you again."

Our nurse, Jenny, smiled and gestured to the seat. "Right, guys. So, you have your first ultrasound today. Are you both ready to meet your baby?"

Edward and I both looked at one another and nodded nervously in sync.

"Excellent... well, we just need to take some details – check your weight and blood pressure – and I will need a little urine sample from you, Mommy, and then we need to have a little talk about some of the procedures that were listed in the pamphlet I gave you last time. As you know, because you're an older, first time mom, we do recommend that you have an amniocentesis to check baby out, as the risks are increased now."

I gulped, and Edward squeezed my hand. Yes, we had talked about that and had agreed that even though we would have the procedure done – which involved a rather large needle inserted into my abdomen around the baby to draw out some of the amniotic fluid for testing for chromosomal defects such as Down's Syndrome – that if the results were not great, we both still wanted to continue the pregnancy and bring our child up in the world. We both wanted it so much that we knew neither of us could even contemplate terminating the pregnancy.

Edward wrapped his arm across my shoulder and pulled me almost over the armrest of the padded seat. "Yes, we talked about it, and it's something we'd like to look into. Just to rule anything out."

"That's great, guys; well, after your check-up and ultrasound, we'll get you booked in for that."

Edward and I both nodded at the same time, and I glanced at him anxiously.

Our nurse took her observations – my blood pressure was normal, and my weight was good. I'd not gained any since pre-pregnancy – which with sickness was pretty normal – and it pleased me a great deal because I didn't want to feel like a fat assed cow next to my new boyfriendish-type person. She started to lecture me on my diet and foods to avoid – like I didn't know it already. Edward's "_So You're Having a Baby" _book was pretty good and informative. I wasn't to eat shellfish, had to avoid undercooked eggs and meat, and made sure I took my prenatal vitamins daily. I tried not to roll my eyes as Edward nodded along and hummed in what seemed to be the appropriate places.

She also told me that within the next month or so that I might be able to feel a few small movements as our baby got larger. My mind snapped to attention at that point, as I thought how weird that was going to feel. She explained that, at first, it might feel like a little wind or the sensation of bubbles popping in my stomach, and as the baby got bigger, it would feel like definite kicks and nudges. Edward, by this point, was beaming. I knew for a fact that he couldn't wait to be able to place his hands over my swollen stomach and feel our child move.

"Okay, guys; well, we're all set. If you want to go wait down the hall, I'll just finish writing up these notes, and we'll get you seen for your ultrasound."

Edward and I were immediately on our feet, and he practically pulled me out of the room. I thought it was very sweet that he was so excited about the ultrasound. Hell, I was excited, as well, but the apprehension was starting to take over me – what if something was wrong? I was, after all, considered an older mother, so I was tipping the scales. What if the ultrasound found a problem with our baby? What if... I tried to think positive and ignore the 'what ifs.' Edward pressed a kiss to my forehead as we sat side by side on a pair of padded pink chairs. "Hey, sweetheart, are you okay?"

I nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm good, just nervous, that's all. I know we said that we'd deal, you know, no matter what, but I can't help but feel I've left this too long. I feel like this is my – I mean, _our – _only chance at this... and what if I've screwed it up?"

Edward wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder. "You haven't done anything wrong. No matter what, this baby is ours, and he or she is going to be perfect. Please, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere, and we can take care of each other and this little person." He kissed my temple and rested his chin on the top of my head, pulling me even closer. Another few inches and I would have been on his lap – not that his lap was an unpleasant place to be...

"Ms. Swan?"

My name was called out just as my OB nurse was heading towards us. The ultrasound technician smiled warmly as I heaved myself to my feet. The four of us went into the darkened room, and I was instructed to lift up my shirt and pull my pants down a little. I then had a paper towel tucked into the lowered waistband, and I lay down on the bed.

"Okay, this is going to be a little cold," the technician warned me, as she squeezed out a glob of blue goo onto my stomach. She was right... Jeez, couldn't they warm that shit up or something? "I'm just going to take some time to have a look and see what we've got in here, and then we can take some measurements and give you your due date, okay?"

I nodded and closed my eyes, gnawing on my lip and sending up a little prayer that all would be well. Edward gripped my fingers reassuringly, and I felt the probe press gently down on my stomach as the technician moved the wand across my abdomen. I opened my eyes and looked at the screen, seeing a mass of black and white. Once it settled in one place, I could make out familiar shapes. My baby… o_ur _baby_. _

It turned out that everything was fine; we looked great, and Edward had been correct with his calculations of our due date. I had, in fact, gotten pregnant the first night we were together.

Well, we had certainly done something right that night.

He linked our fingers together as we walked through the parking garage that was attached to the doctor's building. "I'm so relieved," he said, releasing the breath he had apparently been holding throughout the appointment. "I was so worried that maybe I didn't do something right."

"You certainly did something right," I said with a sly smile. "Not bad for the first time, huh?"

He blushed bright red at my comment, causing me to laugh. Usually, I was the one who turned the color of a tomato.

"Hm," was his brilliant comeback. I laughed again. I felt so free and so… happy. Soon, I would have this new little life to care for - and who would care for me - and I silently hoped that the three of us would quickly become our own little family unit.

~DW~

The next several months settled into a comfortable pattern. Every month, Edward accompanied me to the doctor, where we got to hear our baby's heartbeat and several times got to see the little sprout on the ultrasound monitor. Those were always the most enjoyable visits.

After the appointment, we would both head back to work, and then Edward would have dinner waiting for me when I arrived home. I had given him a key to my house several months prior, and it quickly became our routine to spend the evenings cuddled up with each other on my couch, watching TV.

I wanted to broach the subject of Edward moving in with me, seeing as how he was rarely even at his apartment any longer. We had only spent a few nights there as it was in noisy downtown, and my house was in the quiet suburbs. But I wasn't sure if he was ready for that or not, since he usually left the first move up to me.

Before I'd had a permanent basketball of a stomach, I would sometimes climb into his lap to get things started. However, since I was beginning to resemble a beached whale, I was unable to move in such ways and so, had left the ball in his court.

And in doing so, I remained frustrated. Surely, he knew that he could take the lead? Sometimes – and I blamed the hormones entirely – I felt as though he didn't _want _me in that way. I wasn't sure if it was because he felt that he _shouldn't, _or if it was due to the fact that I had a fat ass, puffy cheeks, and swollen ankles… and whatever else I couldn't see but he could. I didn't know, but he never wanted to make the move. I would have thought my new and improved boobs would have been a sure-fire way to grab his attention, but no. He didn't even try to play with them. Sure, he was attentive and would always wrap his arm across my shoulder. And in bed at night, he'd spoon with me, his hand resting on the top of my bump and our legs entwined – and he'd even kiss me. But it wasn't enough. Sometimes – and again, I was totally blaming the pregnancy hormones – sometimes, a girl just needed to be dominated a little, and well... fucked. Edward slept in my bed pretty much every single night, and if I ever wanted even the smallest bit of _attention,_ it had to be me that instigated it. I'd have to slip my hand between us and take him in my hand. Subtle grinding and pressing my butt into him just didn't cut it – I didn't know if he just didn't get that I was coming onto him or not. Honestly, the poor man was simply clueless. My little nerd.

I snuggled into the crook of his arm and smiled as he rested his head against me. I'd accidently on purpose slipped into my partially see-through baby doll nightie – because, let's face it; there wasn't much that was comfortable when you were almost eight months pregnant. At least, that was my excuse for taking a trip to Victoria's Secret the previous week. So, with my newly enlarged boobs pushed together and up, and a pretty, sheer black material flowing loosely over my bump, and a really cute pair of lace boy shorts, I felt pretty darn hot and not as whale-like as my holey sweats usually made me feel. I stayed put for a moment, and Edward didn't move nor did he really pay much attention to my choice of outfit. _Humph. Need to get the boy booked in for a sight test. Did the baby bump suddenly make me invisible or perhaps the pregnancy was messing with _my_ eyes, and I really didn't look as hot as I'd thought... _Shit.

So, I snuggled in further and placed my hand across his stomach. I raked my nails across his t-shirt and hummed appreciatively. Nothing. He didn't move. I stretched my legs along the length of his legs and arched my back, pressing the new E cups into his side. Still nothing.

It was time to pull out the bigger guns – even though the big guns were currently pushed up by my nightie. I arched my back once more and let out a gentle, but fairly high pitched, sigh. Unfortunately, Edward seemed to take it as more of a moan – and clearly not a _good _moan, because he sat bolt upright, and his hand shot to my protruding stomach. "Bella, are you okay? Are you having a contraction? Is the baby coming?"

What the hell? Did I sound like a cow getting ready to birth a calf? I tried to moan more seductively to help him get the hint, when he reached over and turned the lamp on.

"Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, his face tight with worry.

I guess I should have felt sorrier for him than I did – and again, it was all the hormones' fault – but I didn't. And unfortunately, my temper boiled over.

"I'm fine, Edward, other than the fact that I'm about to explode from sexual frustration!" I yelled, rolling away – which was no easy feat – and standing up in front of him. "Are you blind? Or am I just so damn unattractive right now that you don't want to even touch me?" Tears were starting to run down my face, and I swiped at them angrily. Damn stupid hormones.

He rubbed his eyes, completely baffled. "W-what are you talking about? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying!"

"Yes, you are," he pointed out rationally."You're yelling at me, and... Well, you have tears; please tell me what I've done to upset you." He was wringing his hands together and looked pretty damn desperate. I quickly folded my arms on top of my bump, causing the guns to jiggle and almost smack me in the chin. I sniffed loudly and looked away.

"If you can't figure it out, then I'm not gonna help you," I said angrily and walked from the room with as much dignity as one could have after practically slapping herself in the face with her own boobs. They were weapons of mass destruction. I briefly wondered if I'd be able to shoot bullets or something out of them. Maybe that would get Edward's attention. I heard his sock feet shuffling after me across the carpet.

"Bella," he called after me. "Please wait. I didn't mean to upset you, and it's not good for the baby."

I whirled around so fast that I almost toppled over. I had to grab the counter in front of me to keep from spinning all the way around. "The baby, the baby... Edward, the baby is fine. It kicks me all the time and makes me want to pee every two minutes. My stomach looks like a freaking road map, and I can no longer wear heels. The baby is happy when I'm chugging on Mountain Dew and when _I'm_ happy. And right now, I'm not happy!"

"Bella... I'm... what can I do to make you happy? I'm trying, I really am... I know that I might be hard to live with; do you want me to go?"

"Jesus, Edward. How fucking clueless are you? I want you, okay? I'm so fucking horny that I think I'm going to spontaneously combust at any moment! My lady parts feel as though they are going to shrivel up and _die_ if they don't get some attention... and pretty soon, they're going to be stretched beyond recognition... and you don't want me!" I blurted out, gripping the counter so tightly my fingertips turned white while more tears spilled down my puffy cheeks.

Edward just stared at me, his mouth open.

"I know I might not look attractive to you right now, but Edward, these hormones rushing around my body have made me crazy. I'm aching for you... shit... I've been watching freaking internet porn when you're not here, but it's not doing anything for me! I need release, and you're the only one who can take care of that for me."

I blushed beet red at my admission. Edward looked dumbfounded. He swallowed hard and raked his hands nervously though his hair.

"But you're clearly not interested in me like that, so, I'm... I'm sorry. I'll just... I'm going to bed before I make a fool out of myself further."

I turned around and began to make my way out of the kitchen; I'd never been so embarrassed in my entire life. I'd just made a complete tool out of myself and had probably just messed up the best thing that had ever happened to me.

I walked along the hall and grabbed onto the stair rail to begin to hoist my baby-carrying ass up to bed where I could bury my head under the pillow for the rest of my life. I was shocked when his warm and slightly sweaty hand caught mine and pulled me back and into his chest. Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me and rested his chin on my left shoulder. "Bella, I... I... Jesus, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you felt like that."

I shook my head. "No, 's'okay; you don't need to apologize... my hormones are screwing with me right now, and I had no right to talk to you like that... or to push you. I know I'm fat and ugly and unattractive." I accidentally blew some snot onto his t-shirt trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Push me? Bella, honestly, have you any idea how beautiful you are?"

"Yeah, right," I scoffed.

"You are. I love seeing you like this." He ran his hands across my stomach and sweetly stroked my bump. "You are so beautiful."

I sniffed. "It's all right, Edward. I'm letting you off of the hook, okay? Let's just drop it." I tried to pull out of his embrace and go upstairs, but his arms restrained me.

"Letting me off the hook? You're kidding, right? I mean it, Bella, you look amazing." He pressed a kiss to my collar bone, and I shivered at the intimate contact. I felt him smile against my shoulder, and his hands moved softly across my belly once again. I threaded my fingers through his and moved with him as I leaned back into his embrace.

"You don't have to say things to make me feel better. I was a bitch, Edward; please, just… don't. I'm really sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. Please, just listen to me for a second. You look awesome and seeing you... growing like this… nurturing our child – it's beautiful. You are an incredible creature. I can't even begin to imagine how you're feeling right now with a new, little person inside of you, but you are glowing, Bella. I want you more than anything. I love touching you."

"Then why don't you?" I whispered. "I want you to touch me, more than anything. I need your hands on me... your lips."

"I don't want to push you too far; I don't want to make you do things you don't want. And I don't want to do anything that might hurt you or the baby."

I pulled on his hand, trying to get him to follow me up the stairs. "You won't hurt us, Edward. It's perfectly natural, and the doctor said I was fine."

He scrubbed at his chin. "I know he said that, Bella, but... I'm just scared."

I turned to him and backed up onto the first step so that we were eye level. "Don't be scared; I'm not. Just go slow. I want you so much, Edward. We can try other and more... interesting… positions, as I have to be careful about how much time I spend... well, on my back… but there are other comfortable ways we can try, so that you're not leaning across my stomach." I wriggled my eyebrows playfully and saw his green eyes visibly darken a couple of shades.

"Other ways, you say?" Edward asked, his eyes wide.

I nodded and smiled in what I hoped was a seductive way. "Yep."

He stepped closer to me. "Um..." He cleared his throat. "Well, I'd hate to stand in the way of progress..."

"For pregnant women everywhere," I agreed solemnly, but my insides were tossing in anticipation. I had almost forgotten our earlier argument, and when he looked at me that way, I almost forgot I was the size of small car. I tugged on his hand again. "Don't think about it too hard," I advised, batting my eyelashes at him.

He looked at me in concern. "Do you have something in your eye?"

"Dammit it, Edward," I muttered, as I pulled his on hand and yanked him gently towards me while I took another step up. I decided to give up on the whole seduction thing as apparently I was only making things worse. "You're such a dork, but you're my dork. Now, why can't you just realize that I'm trying to come onto you and just take me to bed already? Please?"

As my womanly areas ached, I decided I wasn't too proud to beg.

Edward followed me somewhat nervously up the stairs... Jeez, this man had shared my bed with me for the past six months, we'd had several sexual encounters, one of which resulted in my ever-growing stomach, and yet he still managed to look as afraid as a virgin on prom night. I was a bad, bad accountant.

I pulled him into the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind us. Edward glanced at the bed and then at me. I smiled and sat on the edge, smoothing out the comforter. "Come here, please," I whispered to him as I looked at him though my eye lashes. He walked towards me and fell to his knees, which made us eye level once again. "Please, don't be shy with me. I think we've been through too much to play that game with each other."

He sat down, his knees practically knocking together. "You're right," he said, his voice shaking a bit. "I just can't help but think that I'm gonna do something stupid and mess everything up."

He looked so sad and child-like for a moment. "What on Earth do you think you can mess up?"

Edward waved at the space between us and then pointed at the bump. "This... us… me, you, and the baby. I don't want to mess up what we have because I'm not actually sure what exactly it is that we have."

Oh... oh... _oh. _He had only just realized that after months of practically living together as a sort of couple – after months of his doting and caring and attending appointments with me – we'd never really _defined _what exactly we were to one another. Of course, I thought of him as my boyfriend, and Edward had introduced me to his friends as his girlfriend, but that was about as far as it had gone.

I waited with bated breath for what he was to say next. "I'm scared of getting in too deep with you if this isn't what you want."

_Oh, Edward... you really are clueless... _

"Tell me what you want, Edward, and then I'll tell you what I think," I whispered to him as my hands moved to cup his cheeks gently.

Edward swallowed deeply and closed his eyes before he took a breath. His tongue darted out and wet his lips. "I... I want you, Bella… all of you. I want to be a real family and not just our baby's father. I want to be there for you in more ways than that. I want... _you_."

And in a nutshell, he'd said the words that I'd been dreaming about.

It must have taken me a while to respond because he pulled away from me and grabbed at his hair, starting to tug at the messy locks. "Shit, I should have never said it; forget I said anything. I'll be whatever you want me to be."

"Edward."

"Seriously, anything you want; don't worry about me, just pretend I didn't say anything."

"Edward."

"No, please don't, Bella."

Oh, my Lord, I wanted to grab him by the throat and slap some sense into him."Edward, stop; you're going to pull your hair out." I stilled his hands. "Edward, I want you, too. I want all of that. I want to wake up in your arms every morning. I want you to play daddy, of course I do, but I also want to belong to you in every way possible."

"You do?"

His eyes met mine again, and they were wide and a little glassy, like he was about to cry.

"Of course. I've felt this way for some time now." I tried to reassure him. He laced our fingers together.

"Really?"

I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder. "Yes, really. Don't doubt what you do to me, Edward. I-I want to be with you."

He gulped again and smiled. "I want to be with you, too. Bella... I love you."

I gasped at his admission and held onto him tighter. "Oh... Edward, me, too... I mean, I love you, too. I have for so long now."

"Then why didn't you... you should have told me..."

"You should have told me, too. I didn't want to scare you away; I felt like I was always pushing you and making the moves and that you weren't interested in me anymore. I want you here with me, Edward. End the lease on your apartment and live here with me."

Before I even knew it, his lips were on mine. He kissed me hard, and his hands moved onto the bed, around my expanded waist. Sure, my huge baby gut got in the way, but he managed to maneuver around it so he could deepen the kiss. I pulled him closer, dragging him up and onto the bed with me.

He made sure to not put his weight on my stomach as he climbed on top of me. He hovered there, staring down into my eyes. It couldn't have been comfortable for him, so I pushed him onto his side and rolled with him. He nuzzled my nose sweetly and kissed the corner of my mouth. "I love you," he whispered again and then grinned. "I've never said that to anyone before."

"Me either," I told him. Sure, I'd been in relationships, but I'd never truly loved another person in the way that I loved and wanted Edward.

We stared at each other for several long moments, both breathing hard, either from our heated kisses or our sudden admission of our feelings for one another. I wasn't sure which; I only knew that I was horny as hell and wanted him right then and there.

"Are you going to make a move on me now, Mr. Cullen?" I asked, as I tugged on the hem of his faded t-shirt. I was just dying for him to expose his perfectly sculpted chest and toned stomach to me. Behind the geeky mask and exterior was the hottest man on the planet. I wanted to kiss and suck and memorize every single, sexy inch of his amazing body – after I'd had him inside of me a few times – because, let's face it, I needed a decent orgasm to feel half human again.

Edward smiled and raised himself off the bed momentarily to pull his shirt over his head. It quickly landed on the floor at the foot of the bed. I decided then and there that when he moved into the house permanently – or officially, whichever we called it – that one of the house rules would be that at all times, Edward would remain shirtless, just so that I could ogle and stare at his awesomeness and gorgeousness.

Of course, that might be a bit awkward when my mother came to visit after the sprout had joined the world. Then again, I thought she might enjoy it, too.

I was practically writhing on the bed, I was so turned on by this point. The fight had only heightened my awareness of Edward, and I also decided that make-up sex needed to be practiced in our house at least several times per week. Maybe just the make-up sex part though, because during our fight, and my over-reacting and hormonal screeching, he looked like I'd run over his puppy, and it wasn't a good look for Edward. So, yeah, perhaps just the make-up sex part.

When his roughened fingertips slid up under the flowing gauze of my nightie, I about died of pleasure. He palmed the big guns, and the girls stood up immediately, thanks to the warmth seeping from his skin into mine. I moaned, trying very hard to get the sound just right this time so that Edward wouldn't think I was about to give birth. When he pressed down, my boobs squished out from his hands and up under my chin, causing me to laugh.

"What?" Edward asked worriedly.

I laughed again. "Nothing. But you can't tell me that I'm not a funny sight right now with these monsters practically choking me."

His green eyes smoldered as he stared at me in all of my pregnant glory. "Bella, I'm finding it hard to find anything funny right now," he replied, his breathing ragged. "I'm actually trying to keep myself in control and make you feel _good, _rather than just flipping you over and fucking you like a caveman."

Holy... crow... And so, the tables had turned. It was my turn to shut the hell up and gawk at him. Those were some of the filthiest things I'd ever heard to come out of Edward Cullen's mouth, and I _loved_ it!

"So, what's stopping you?" I asked bravely, although the gasping of my voice took some of the impressiveness away.

He leaned down and kissed me softly, but when he pulled away, I saw that his eyes were still dark, smoldering, and hooded. "The only thing that's stopping me is knowing that although I want to have my way with you, I _need _to make love to you, as well. You are so beautiful right now; you can't comprehend how sexy you are and how much you're turning me on."

I blushed and chewed at my lip while Edward ground his groin into my hip. I could feel _him_. I could feel how much he wanted me.

"You feel how much I want you?" he whispered, causing me to shiver in pleasure.

I would have paid a million bucks right then to know where the hell his confidence came from.

"I feel it," I whispered. "I'm yours; take me how you want, Edward. Anything is perfect. I want you in every way possible. Don't worry about anything else."

He groaned into my ear, and his warm breath on my skin caused me to shiver. His hands once again roamed across my breasts and to the pretty little ribbon in the center – the same one on which I'd spent a good ten minutes perfecting. He pulled gently at it, undoing the front of my nightie. The big guns bounced to freedom. Edward licked his lips as he traced a long finger across my right nipple, which caused it to pucker under his touch. As well as the major increase in size that the pregnancy had gifted me with, I had never expected them to be so _sensitive_. I swore that I could get a sudden nipple-on just by knowing that his eyes were on me. Edward blew gently, his breath cool as it hit my other nipple. She hardened just like her bestie. The girls were definitely enjoying the attention.

I rubbed my thighs together, knowing that my twenty dollar panties were totally ruined but not caring because they had done the job I'd bought them for, and I'd totally go out and buy another pair... especially if they elicited this type of reaction from Edward every time. Come to think of it, I should probably consider purchasing some stock in Victoria's Secret...

I raked my hands down his chest and made quick work of his button fly jeans. Oh... hell... yes. My boy was going commando, again. God, I loved him so much.

I pushed his jeans down his legs, using my heels when my hands could no longer reach. He quickly wiggled his legs out of the confining pants, and I felt his rigid length press up against my inner thigh. Oh, my God. I was going to combust if he didn't speed things up a bit.

I struggled and sat up slightly as I shed the nightie and let it float to the floor. I then hooked my fingers into my panties and shimmied them down as far as the sprout would allow without me standing up. I was frustrated as the bump on my stomach kept me from getting my arms where I wanted, and the huge bump that was now my ass kept me from moving much. Edward was quick off the mark and pulled them off me. He removed his socks and lay back down on the bed. I crawled up towards him and took my place by his side. I hooked my leg over his, hopefully letting him know that I was ready for him – lovely dovey foreplay was not necessary right at that moment.

We could make love later, but right now, I wanted – no, needed – him to just plain out fuck me. Hard. Or I was going to explode.

"Bella," he groaned. "If you keep moving your leg like that, I'm not gonna make it."

"That's the idea," I said with a throaty moan as I grabbed at his firm ass and pulled him closer to my aching center. I was soaked for him, and I could feel my arousal coating his upper thigh. "Please, just get inside of me. I need you, now."

He groaned in response and slid his hand down my stomach, stopping short of where I wanted him to be.

"Edward," I said through gritted teeth. "Now is not the time."

He laughed softly and trailed his fingers down lower to where I wanted them.

"Don't tease me," I begged, wiggling my butt around, trying to find him so I could take matters into my own hands.

He pecked me quickly on the lips and then sat back on his heels. I opened my eyes to see him staring at me.

"What?" I asked, rolling my eyes in frustration.

"Well," he started, "I was just wondering how you wanted to do this... so I didn't hurt you. You know... you mentioned o-other ways to... you know."

My loveable dork had returned.

"I don't care," I almost cried. "Just do it already!" I knew that I sounded like a sex-starved lunatic, but basically, that was what I was at the moment.

Edward blushed again. We really needed to work out our intimacy issues, because seriously, Edward was like dynamite in bed once he got going. I watched him as he took hold of his rock solid dick and stroked it a couple of times before moving it to my heat. He barely touched my opening with the head when he licked his lips.

"Bella, turn around. Get on your knees and grab onto the head board." His voice oozed sex as he gently ordered me.

Oh. Holy. Fuck. Oh. God. _YES_.

As gracefully as I could, I sat up and shifted myself around. I got to my knees and crawled up the length of the bed, and then I leaned over and held onto the wooden headboard as requested. I felt the bed move behind me, and a few seconds later, he joined me again. He began placing pillows and throw cushions from my bedroom couch underneath me so that I could lean on them.

"I thought this would make you more comfortable," he whispered into my ear. I almost came on the spot. Edward ran a finger from my cheek, down my neck and shoulder, and then slowly and very deliberately down my spine, around my butt cheeks, and finally in between my legs. He ran his index finger across my slick folds and circled my clit, which caused me to lean forward and grip the headboard harder.

His hand quickly left me, and I whimpered at the loss of contact. "Shhh," he hushed me. "Please tell me if I hurt you."

I nodded dumbly. At this exact moment, I would have agreed to anything he asked.

I felt him against me, his cock pressed against my ass as one of his hands moved to my hip. I felt him coat himself in my wetness, and I cried out as he moved against me. He was taking far too long – and yes, I was impatient. I wriggled my hips as I urged him closer. He got the hint and pushed himself into me. Oh. My. God. It was tight that way. He'd taken me from behind before but only when we'd been spooning on one of the rare occasions we'd shared morning sex. Doggy style with Edward was incredible.

He stilled when he was half way into me and rubbed at my hips. "You okay, baby?" he asked me, his voice soft and loving.

"Oh, God, yes!" I groaned as I pushed myself closer and finally impaled myself on him the rest of the way. I exhaled sharply when his pelvis was flush with my ass.

His hands skimmed over my back, rubbing small circles on the exposed skin. I arched my back and leaned forward onto the pillows. He was so smart… _my _Edward. The pillows helped a great deal as I leaned my weight onto my arms and moved against him, starting to thrust gently.

With his hands still moving over my back, ass, and hips, Edward met my slow and gentle movements. It wasn't long before I felt the all too familiar tightening in my stomach and the ache between my legs grew stronger. My knees started to feel like jelly, but with the support of my arms and pillows, I knew it was no big deal.

I breathed hard and began to move faster. "Harder, please, Edward. I need you to fuck me harder."

He grunted and obliged my request as he pumped into me with more force than before. His movements became quicker, and his hands held me a little harder. I pulled myself up onto my knees and pulled Edward down with me so that his chest was flush with my back. He braced himself with one hand on the headboard, and we moved together. It had never been this deep, or this intense before. The sound of our skin slapping together when our bodies met was mouth watering.

I was so close. I felt myself start to tighten around him. Edward felt the familiar flutters, and his hand moved from my hip and around to my front. He pressed his fingers onto my clit and began to massage the tight little ball of nerves. I started to whimper and call out his name, but my voice had vanished, and all I could hear was my own breathy whispers. He thrust harder, and I thought that he grunted my name and said that he was about to come. The only thing I could clearly recall was the moment when he pinched my clit hard between his thumb and finger and the whole world exploded around me. I saw stars, stripes, and the whole fucking American flag.

I collapsed onto my side onto the waiting pillows, and Edward fell beside me, spooning me while his still hard cock pulsed within me as he emptied himself. His hands roamed and finally came to rest on my chest.

"Ung... fuck... Edward," I managed. Anything else would have been total gobbledygook.

He panted hard beside me, his fingers trailing absentmindedly over my sweaty skin.

After what seemed like an age, I finally caught my breath. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I knew we both probably should get under the covers. Clean up could wait, I guessed. As though he could read my thoughts, Edward helped me up and shifted some of the pillows to the floor, pulling back the comforter. We slid into the bed together, and I turned around to face him, finally sated and content.

"That was... just..." I was lost for words.

"Incredible?" he whispered.

I nodded. "Yeah. That's one word to describe it... thank you."

"Anytime," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

I snuggled into his chest as far as the sprout-bump would allow and closed my eyes.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

I smiled. "I love you, too, Edward."

And I did. I truly did. I knew from that moment on that everything would be fine. Sure, our arrangement was strange – and really, it wasn't an arrangement any longer. We were a couple... we were in love. Edward was no longer my donor, my baby daddy. He was mine, and I was his.

All my dreams were slowly starting to come true. One... by... one.


	3. Chapter 3

**First, EternallyCullen and LisaDawn75 would like to thank you all for your love and support for this story! We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we have writing it. For those of you who follow our other collab story, Eyes, Look Your Last, please know that we have not quit on the story. Our time differences – since we live on opposite sides of the planet – have caused a shortage in our writing time. But we hope to have a new chapter up for you soon.**

**We would also like to give you a fic recommendation. If you are looking for a good story with a fast pace, check out Impending Doom by PhoenixRN. It is one of our favorite stories, and we don't think you'll be disappointed! So, stop by, give it a read, and drop her a note! You can find it at ****http:/www**** (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/7089683/1/bImpending_b_bDoom_b**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong> - **Edward**

If there was one thing I never expected, it was to become a father. After remaining single for a little over five years, several disastrous first dates, and many ignored text messages, emails, and phone calls, I was honestly starting to give up hope of ever leaving behind the life of eternal bachelorhood. My older brother Emmett's bitchy girl, Rosalie, would taunt me and say that I would never find a woman again because of my childlike job and dream – but she was biased, to say the least. Her best friend happened to be the woman whom I'd been in my last relationship with – the one whom I thought, perhaps, one day I would marry. I didn't love her though – not really – and her distaste when I finally left my boring job in data inputting and accepted an offer of employment drawing for Marvel put an end to that relationship. She wouldn't tolerate it at all.

So, I began to work from home in Chicago, in my dank and shitty little studio apartment. Eventually, after four years, I relocated to Seattle in order to move back home with my parents – at least until I found something slightly more permanent.

Then, Bella happened.

The ad that she'd placed online – it had intrigued me. I had browsed dating sites before; even though I was on the verge of giving up on love, a man still has needs, after all. I had never responded to one, however, but I could sense the desperation from this woman, and it seemed genuine – or at least as genuine as words written down on a website could sound.

_Business woman seeks change of career. I'm single and want to be a mother. Donor required. Call for more information._

I had minimized the page and shook my head. What the heck was I doing looking at those pages anyway? What was the point, really?

I had pushed my laptop aside and began to doodle again, experimenting with some coloring and facial features. I'd been working on Iron Man, but my dream was to create a character of my very own – a superhero, of sorts. But it was just another dream that, no doubt, would be buried again, once I finally realized that there was no point in pursuing it because I wanted too much in life, and it was hopeless.

"_You got your dream job, Edward; now you have to deal with the consequences – one of which is that no woman is going to take you seriously ever again." _Fucking Carmen. _"You could have had so much for me, but I'm not going to lay back and support you when you fail... you'll never be able to get a real job after this."_

Her words had stung at the time, but the past four and a half years had passed pretty quickly, aside from the loneliness and the fact that the only comforting company I had, besides my right hand and the occasional evening watching _Playboy,_was myself and my comic books. Even though it might have messed up a part of my life, I got so much from seeing my name in small print and my art donning the covers and pages of some of the world's most famous cult comics.

I closed my eyes and rested my head in my hands. Loneliness. It sucked giant donkey balls. However, I wasn't entirely alone. I liked living back at home with my parents in their big house once again, but it wasn't ideal. I was thirty-seven years old. I could afford to get a place of my own, since working for Marvel had the benefit of a pretty decent wage, but living with them was, in a word, _easy_. And I knew that my mother, Esme, enjoyed having me there when my dad was working long shifts at the hospital. He was a well-known heart surgeon.

My email alert had turned my attention back to my computer, and I deleted the spam right away. Did I wish to enlarge my breasts without surgery? No... but thank you for asking.

I clicked at the bottom and maximized the other page again, reading over the advertisement, once again.

_Business woman seeks change of career. I'm single and want to be a mother. Donor required. Call for more information._

What was it that had drawn me to her?

So, I sent her a text message. Yes, I was fully aware that it said to call for more details, but I didn't want to make myself sound like a total nerd. I was also worried that it was some kind of joke. Her reply read as formally and subtly desperate as the ad, asking me to call if I was interested. I wrung my hands nervously, afraid of what it was that was drawing me closer to this total stranger.

So, I called her.

Bella.

Her voice had been soft and feminine. She had sounded nervous and shy. I had told her that I wanted to help her, and she explained that she wouldn't need me so much to play the part of a dad – just to deliver the package. I didn't know what came over me, but I asked her if she thought she might be able to send me a photo of the baby, if it were to work out. I didn't tell her that I'd also, like her, given up hope of ever getting married and having children. I didn't say that the idea of a kid running around with a part of me in it made me happy. No... didn't want to freak her out.

I had wanted to meet her. She agreed.

I had lied to her when she asked me what I did for a living. I didn't know what in the hell possessed me to fuck her around and tell her that I worked for a computer firm – but I did.

We had arranged to meet in the city, close to her work on Friday night. She had told me that she was average lookingwith long, brown hair and was about five foot four inches tall. I had told her that I was six foot two and had crazy hair. I had also told her that I'd be coming from work,so I'd be wearing a suit. Another lie... sort of. I would be coming from work – work from home at my parents' house. I could wear a suit; I owned one.

However, when it came to actually going to meet her, I decided to forgo on the dress suit and go as myself. Pure Edward. I guessed it was only fair to this woman that she saw the real loser that was potentially going to father her child. I wouldn't have wanted her to end up with a loser freak of a nerd kid with glasses and red hair. So, I put on my favorite jeans and my black, and rather faded, Batman t-shirt.

_"When are you going to start dressing like a man, Edward? It's like you're still in college. Oh, right, I forgot; you didn't even go to college." _I could hear Carmen in my head, once again. I chuckled to myself that even after all that time, it was almost like she had some sort of power over me. She didn't, though. I looked in the mirror and didn't even attempt to tame my wild hair. I pushed my glasses onto the bridge of my nose and headed out of the door to jump into my car.

I had hovered in the door to the bar, looking around as I hoped to catch a glimpse of Bella. Toward the right side of the room sat a woman with brown hair, but I couldn't rate her as average looking_. _She was stunning. Her hair hung loose and wavy to about four inches below her shoulders; she wore a simple black skirt and pale blue blouse along with flat shoes. She had one leg crossed over the other, and although the girl was petite, her legs seemed to go on for miles. She was _gorgeous_. Her head was down, and her brow furrowed as she chewed on her lip, proceeding to poke the hell out of the olive floating in her martini glass.

I had almost turned around and walked away from her. I had wanted backed out, but the thought of hurting her feelings by not showing up made me walk up to the table and stand before her. She jumped as she sensed my presence. Her eyes slowly moved up my body, and I was certain that I saw her settle on my crotch for a few seconds.

Her eyes had drawn me in, and I was mesmerized. If this was Bella, then I wanted her. I wanted to hold her in my arms.

This girl in front of me was Bella.

~DW~

After the amazing night we had spent together – which turned out was very out of character for the both of us – we had begun to see each other. I had never really tried to take things to the next level because I just wasn't sure if she wanted me that way; I had also worried that I'd taken advantage of her that night, as she'd been quite drunk. She had reassured me that she wasn't too drunk, and she had known what she was doing – plus, she wanted to carry on seeing me. I had thought that she'd begun to feel differently about our other arrangement as she'd not brought it up.

Then, Bella had become sick, and I didn't get to see her for almost two weeks. She had thought she had stomach flu, but it had kept coming and coming. She had struggled to keep food down, and she was tired and lethargic.

I had figured it out before she did, and she was the one with the college education.

Bella was pregnant.

We were both so shocked; but that first night we were together, neither of us had thought to use any protection. It had never been an issue at that moment. Everything had happened so fast.

We were going to have a baby, and it made everything so much more complicated because we had been seeing each other but had not put any sort of label on what we were to one another. Hell, I didn't know what she wanted.

~DW~

Two months on, we'd still not told her parents. Bella had been starting to show, as she was nearing twenty weeks along. She had told her parents that she had been seeing someone – a lot – but I'd yet to meet the infamous Renee and her husband. I had also been avoiding meeting Charlie, her father who was the Police Chief. I mean, the dude had a gun, and he'd quickly realize that I was the one who had knocked up his only daughter. Damn.

Bella had yet to meet my parents, too, which was getting tedious. I'd been trying all the excuses in the book. I'd moved out and gotten myself a small apartment downtown to work from – but it was mainly to stop them from questioning why I was spending almost every single night with Bella and why I'd not yet brought her home to meet them.

I had finally gotten my own way when she hit twenty-one weeks. We told my parents first – and they were over the moon. My mother, who had thought that perhaps she'd never get grandchildren out of any of her three sons, was elated and quickly welcomed Bella to the family. It had worried me that she'd frighten Bella off because, even though I was with her most days – and nights – we still had not discussed the matter of _us. _Perhaps I was too much of a pussy to admit it to her, as I was terrified of scaring her off, but I wanted Bella. I had fallen so head over heels in love with her that I would have gotten down on one knee and proposed there and then, if she'd requested it. But I doubted she felt the same way.

Sometimes, she'd let me know she was in the mood_, _but I would chalk it up to pregnancy hormones. I'd read that a lot of women had an increased libido during this time. Also, I felt that due to the fact that I'd knocked her up – and she was starting to sport a pretty impressive baby bump – and the fact that she wasn't going to get any sex elsewhere, that I pretty much owed it to her to get her off. She seemed to enjoy it. I did, too, but I wasn't about to expect it from her. I was at a loss at what to do.

Her parents had been next. Her mother and Phil had come to visit for the weekend. Renee had taken one look at her daughter and her huge lump of a stomach, along with the huge breasts she'd sprouted over night, and she had immediately flung her arms around the two of us, starting to sob and then screeching at the top of her lungs. I was sure that all of the dogs on Bella's block were cringing in their kennels.

Charlie, on the other hand... well, I had thought he was going to shoot me. He had pulled me aside and asked when I was planning on marrying his baby girl_._I had honestly told him that I couldn't answer that question, but that I was in it for the long haul if Bella was. He had grunted in response, and I had felt the sudden urge to protect my testicles. I had gotten the distinct impression that I wasn't Chief Swan's favorite person. Who could blame him?

Of course, my intentions with Bella were nothing but honourable. But no one knew that.

Twenty-two weeks became twenty-seven weeks, and we had reached the third and final trimester of the pregnancy. We had decided not to find out the sex of the baby. Bella had had a dream where she finished pushing the baby out and was able to discover if it was a boy or girl by herself. I had thought this was a nice idea – even though I was desperate to know what we were having. We'd also not discussed any names, but I had assumed that Bella had all o that planned out.

Bella had bloomed, and her stomach had become larger and rounder. She had gained a little weight, but it suited her. Her new curves were beautiful, and it had been all I could do to keep my hands to myself. I had to, though; Bella didn't belong to me.

Then our fighthappened. Bella had been thirty-three weeks along; she was huge, and her back and hips hurt her, but she refused to give up work until the last moment. She would come home from the office and fall onto the couch, then eat the dinner I'd cooked for her from a plate resting on the top of her baby bump. She would thank me for being there for her, and then we'd snuggle up and watch the television or a movie together. Most nights, she would pass out and be rendered unconscious by nine, so I would lift her up and put her to bed.

We'd been watching some old _X-Files_reruns, and Bella had whispered during a commercial that she was going to get more comfortable. She had vanished into her room to get changed. She had come out wearing this floaty thing, and her glorious breasts had been almost touching her chin. I had wondered what it would be like to bury my face into them...

She had looked like a vixen, and I could just picture her as the heroine in one of my comic books – minus the baby bump, because honestly, would anyone want to read a story about a pregnant superhero? She had sat herself next to me again, nestling herself under my arm. When her hand had slipped over my stomach, I had tensed up as I became hard in my pants. I hoped she'd not noticed and thought I was some kind of sick pervert. She had let out a groan, and because I was on high labor alert, my hard dick returned to its shrivelled and flaccid-like state in less than two seconds.

She had told me she was okay and then groaned again and wriggled. I had sat upright, very worried about her and the baby. A little too quickly for a seven and a half month pregnant woman, she had gotten to her feet, and I swore that she _growled _at me.

She had made me feel incredibly stupid – and clueless – and although I had already known that I was a total dork, the beautiful girl carrying my child had confirmed it for me, in more ways than one.

Bella loved me.

Bella wanted me.

She wanted the same as me. She wanted us to try and be a family.

That night had brought the most amazing and incredible sex of my entire life. Almost every single night after that, she jumped me, not afraid to make a move, knowing that I did, in fact, want her, too. I would have made a move on her, but that girl was fast.

~DW~

Bella was forty-one weeks pregnant. She was large, and her stomach – though it did somewhat resemble a road map – was just gorgeous, although it couldn't have been comfortable at all, stretched to its full capacity with our baby. I'd finally managed to talk her into finishing up at work, which she did at week thirty-seven when she began to struggle to get behind the wheel of her car. It was good to see her rest, and I thought that Bella was glad she'd finished, as well, because she relaxed a lot – although, it was like the cleaning fairies were permanently in her – I meant _our – _house. The nursery was ready; the crib was tiny, as were all the little clothes we'd brought in white, yellow, and pale green. She'd even gotten a little tiny Batman onesie; she'd gotten it personalised with "batman fan just like my daddy." I thought that was really sweet of her. I'd given her my favorite Batman shirt – the one I'd worn the night we met, seeing as many of her clothes no longer fit her very well.

"Eddddwardddd," she moaned at me from her spot on the couch. She took up most of the damn thing, and her feet looked all sorts of uncomfortable and swollen. "Please, come and rub my back; it's really aching."

She'd been having pains in her lower back for a couple of days. We both knew that labor was imminent now, seeing as she'd gone a week past her due date already. Another couple of days and we'd have an appointment with her doctor to discuss induction, so that the baby would come out. Bella was adamant that she didn't want a Caesarean section. Didn't blame her, really. Apparently, she wouldn't be allowed to drive her vehicle for a month – and that would drive her crazy. And me.

I wiggled behind her, and she leaned into me, her aching back pressing up against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and placed my hand on the bottom of her bump. It was so hard, and her skin was so tight. She sighed gently.

"You okay?" I asked her as I rubbed tentative circles across her stomach.

"Uh huh... just had a long day. I just want this to be over now."

I nodded into her shoulder and inhaled her scent deeply. "Well, in less than a week, it won't be just the two of us anymore. It's not long at all. The baby will be here in no time."

"I know." She sighed again, and she slowly shifted around to face me. "I just never expected to go overdue."

"Yeah, you expected to be in that tiny percent of mothers who give birth on their due date."

"I don't know why, but I did." She sniffed but managed to smile at the same time.

"At least it's almost over, but we've been lucky, Bella. There have been no problems, and considering our situation_, _I think we're doing especially well, don't you think?"

She grinned at me and brought one of her hands up to my hair, pushing the messy and floppy strands out of my eyes. "Yeah, we've done good, so far."

She pulled my head down to meet hers, and her lips met mine, slowly. She kissed me gently for a few moments, her long fingers caressing my scalp lightly. Her lips parted, and I took this as her permission to deepen our kiss. As my tongue met hers and probed inside of her warm mouth, her grip tightened somewhat, and she wriggled herself closer, as her cotton covered chest and bump met my torso. My hands made their way around her now-full waist and across her soft backside. She moaned gently into my mouth and hitched her leg over mine.

I grabbed her thigh and gently pulled it upwards, slipping my own thigh between hers. Once again, our goodnight kisses were quickly turning into a bedtime romp – not that I was complaining. Even in her pregnancy, she was such a vixen.

My hands roamed their way under her nightgown, and I concentrated on her soft skin for a few moments before she sat up and raised her arms for me to remove the flimsy cotton article from her heated flesh. She joined me back on the bed, and her fingers traced over the waistband of my boxers – but then, she paused for a moment.

"You alright?" I whispered to her.

Her eyes met mine.

"Edward... I think my water just broke."

_Oh, shit. _"Um, okay, Bella, don't panic."

She was lying on her back, her hands rubbing soft circles over the skin of her abdomen. Her eyes widened as I stared, watching as the muscles under her fingers tightened. A contraction. This was it.

"Edward..."

"Are you all right? Do I need to call the doctor? What do I need to do first?" I asked, panic and excitement making my voice high. I had read all of the books and had accompanied Bella to all of her appointments, so my common sense was telling me that we had plenty of time before the baby came, but all the 'first-time father' part of me could see was images from movies where the dad had to deliver the kid. Oh, hell no.

Bella took several deep breaths, and in my panic, I faintly remembered the Lamaze exercises that we had learned in class. "That's it, Bella. Breathe."

"I need to call my mom," she said suddenly, reaching for the phone before setting it back down. "First, though, I want to take a shower and wash my hair."

"Bella, I don't think we have time for that," I said, worry evident in my voice. I had one shot to do this right, and I wanted to make sure that nothing would stand in the way of the two most important people in my life coming through this healthy.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Edward, it's not like my water breaks, and the kid pops out. We have time, and I don't want to go in there smelling." She wrinkled her nose.

"You smell fine, Bella. Great, actually," I said, thinking back to our evening's sudden plan that had been shot to hell. Oh, well, I guess I needed to get used to that, anyway, now that a baby was imminent.

"Edward," she whined. "Help me into the shower, please." She was trying to pull herself off of the bed.

I stared warily at her and then at the attached bathroom. "Bella, sweetheart, why don't we go ahead to the hospital, and you can take a shower there. That way, the nurses are right there. Just in case," I added on. I didn't want her to think that I couldn't handle this.

She pulled her lower lip in between her teeth in indecision.

"I'll help you do anything you want, but let's just get to the hospital. I'll feel better. I know that most first-time mothers don't deliver quickly, but I don't want us to bet on that and be in that small percentage that do." I looked at her pleadingly. I would feel so much better when we were surrounded by doctors and nurses.

"Well," she drawled. "I'm sure it will be okay," she started to say, but then tensed up as another contraction took her breath. She reached for my hand and squeezed painfully hard. Damn, she could crack walnuts with that grip.

I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. After several seconds, she released me and leaned against the wall.

"Tell you what," I tried again. "I'll call my dad, and see what he says. If he says we're okay for a bit, I'll help you in the shower here. If he says we need to haul ass to the hospital, we'll do it my way, okay?"

She nodded and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Okay."

Trying not to feel too panicked, I called my dad, who didn't mind being woken up at all, and explained the situation. I also told him my worries about how stubborn Bella was being, wanting to wait it out at home. My father chuckled and told me not to panic, since the pains were not too far apart and to just let Bella chill and relax for a while before getting to the hospital. He told me to sit tight but to call again when we decided to make our way to the maternity ward.

I reluctantly set the phone back down and walked to the bathroom. I heard Bella puffing and panting. I knocked and entered in time to see her, in all her beautiful and naked glory, slipping down into a bubble bath.

"Funny looking bath?" I questioned, smiling at her.

Bella grinned at me weakly. "The last contraction sort of took my breath away... thought it would be easier if I was in the water."

I nodded and knelt down by the side of the tub. "I remember they said at the birthing classes that water might help ease the pain a little. Is it?"

She nodded. "It's very soothing."

I asked her if I could get her anything, but other than a glass of cold water, she was fine.

Two hours later, the panting became low, guttural groans, and the grip on my fingers had become harsher. Her little finger nails bit into my skin, and I tried not to wince. I didn't want her to think that I was a total pussy when her body was preparing itself to squeeze an entire person out of a hole that was no larger than a walnut. What was some bruising and crescent shaped indents and cuts compared to that?

Bella had changed into sweats and one of my t-shirts, along with a pair of my huge socks after she'd bathed, washed, and dried her hair. She had asked me if I could shave her womanly parts for her. I was a bit apprehensive, at first, because I thought it was a bit of an odd request; also, I didn't want to cut her _down there. _

Bella had rolled her eyes and snapped at me, telling me that she didn't want to go in there looking like an unkempt and hairy person and that I had no choice because she was in pain, couldn't see her parts... Also, it was my fault she was in that condition, so it was all I could do to help.

I was afraid. So, I complied. She was a woman on a mission.

I made sure that all of Bella's hospital and baby luggage was waiting by the door, as well as a small bag for myself with a change of clothing, my deodorant, and a little bag of snacks and drinks for the pair of us, just in case the labor was going to be a lengthy one.

Bella was plopped on the couch, watching the television with her laptop in front of her. She was using a special website to track her contractions. She'd hit the space bar key when one started and then again when it stopped. It would record the length of each contraction and the space between them.

"Edward?" she breathed.

"Yes, love?"

"The last three have been four minutes apart. I think I'm about ready to get going now."

"Okay." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and offered Bella a hand, so that she could get to her feet. I called my father and told him that we were on our way to hospital. He said he'd meet us there and help get us settled. He wasn't an OB/GYN, but he was high up in the hospital and could pull his weight to make sure that Bella was in only the best hands.

I took one last look my beautiful girlfriend, knowing that in just a few short hours, she would have our child in her arms.

We headed out to the car, and I began the short drive to the hospital, eager to meet my son or daughter for the first time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Authors notes: *****Peeks out from behind laptop.* First off, apologies for the super long delay. Yes, we are fully aware that it's been months. LisaDawn75 had massive computer issues and EternallyCullen grew and birthed a small person. It's been a crazy time on both sides of the pond. **

**We are going to be writing an outtake for this story for the Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – you can donate and receive lots of special chapters and stories. fandom4lls . blogspot . co . uk**

Bella

_Holy fucking hell! _I never imagined such tortuous pain existed until I went into labor. At first, the contractions weren't that bad, and I thought, _piece of cake!_ Well, ha ha, the joke's on me.

I gritted my teeth as another contraction rocked through my body. How was it that women had more than one child? Did the doctors give you something that erases your memory after you give birth? That had to be it. The military should really figure out how to inflict this pain on our enemies. I swear, Osama Bin Laden would have gladly spilled his secrets if the Navy SEALs had used labor pain as a torture method. Seventy-two virgins be damned.

The pain finally faded so that I could focus on my surroundings. Edward was sitting on the side of my hospital bed, his face drawn tight in concern. I had never lost my cool around him, so I figured that he was scared shitless. Good. This pain was all his fault anyway.

"Bella, are you all right?" Edward asked.

_Am I all right? Seriously? _"No, you fuckwit! I feel like an alien life form is trying to eat its way out of my body!"

I immediately felt contrite at the crushed expression on Edward's face. Yes, I realized that I _had_ asked him to do this to me – if you wanted to get technical – but pain has a way of turning even a saint into a demon from hell.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

He shook his head. "It's okay, love. What can I do?" he asked, his expression still pained.

I tried to turn onto my side so that he could massage my lower back, and I was sure that the Titanic had turned easier. "Can you help...?" I asked.

Edward jumped to attention and assisted me in flopping over. I hoped someone notified the Seismological Society so that a mass panic did not erupt on the West Coast. _No earthquake, people! Bella Swan just turned over in bed! Go about your business, but be prepared for aftershocks!_

His fingers gently massaged my muscles, causing me to let out a sigh. Damn, that felt good. This time, when the contraction hit, I clenched the bedrail and squeezed my eyes shut. I tried to remember my Lamaze breathing, but the white light behind my eyelids from the pain was a bit distracting.

"Not too much longer," Edward soothed. I knew that this was much rougher on him mentally than it was me. Over the last month or so, I had come to realize just how much Edward really did care about me. Actually, I thought he even loved me. The thought made me giggle. Even though I was currently in beached whale mode, I felt like a schoolgirl with her first big crush.

Suddenly, Edward's father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, walked into the room, his wife, Esme, behind him. "So, it won't be too much longer before my first grandchild is here," he said, a smile on his handsome face.

I felt my face flush hotly, suddenly embarrassed. I mean, I was basically a walking billboard announcing, 'Hey! I had unprotected sex with your son!'

"Yeah, I hope so," I said.

Esme walked around the bed and sat on the side which I was facing. "Bella, honey, how are you doing?" she asked, concern evident in her green eyes that were so like Edward's.

I grunted as another contraction hit. Once it passed, I replied, "I'm fine."

Esme laughed softly. "You didn't just sound fine."

"Well, I'm as fine as I can be, in this situation."

"Is it normal for her to be in this much pain, Dad?" Edward asked.

I did find that I actually felt a bit sorry for him. He was trying so hard.

Carlisle patted him on the back. "Yes, son. Bringing a new life into this world, while a wonderful experience, is also quite physically painful for the mother. Bella's going to be fine."

At that moment, my nurse came in to check how far dilated I was. I felt my face flush hotly again and was grateful when she kicked everyone out. Well, except Edward. He had already seen me completely naked, so I figured this wouldn't be anything between us. I did not, however, want his father in the same room while my hoo-ha was being bared, doctor or not.

I was so glad I shaved. Well, okay, so Edward did the shaving... tomato, tomahto...

My nurse kindly waited until another contraction had passed before she none-too-gently inserted her gloved and lubed fingers inside of me. Okay, internal vaginal examinations are slightly more uncomfortable when you're preparing to squeeze a small person out of you. Everything felt as though it were throbbing, aching, and stretching.

Our nurse, Alicia, who was still perched on the edge of the bed between my legs patted my knee and smiled gently. "We still have a little way to go as yet, Bella. You're five centimeters."

I suddenly felt the rage building up inside of me. "Five... five fucking... stupid... tiny centimeters?" I all but growled.

"I know that isn't what you wanted to hear," Alicia kindly told me, "but you are doing so well, Bella. You've gotten to five with no pain relief. Keep going, you _can _do this. You're already halfway there."

I just wanted to cry! _Halfway_? It was as though I'd been laboring for hours. I'd been watching the clock closely between excruciating contractions, and the seconds were ticking by so slowly that it was almost as though for every one that passed, the clock would jump back three.

"I'm so tired," I sobbed, as I allowed the floodgates to open.

Edward got up off his chair and sat beside me on the narrow bed, taking my hand in his. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," he whispered, sincerity clear in his voice. "It'll be over before you know it. I promise."

Oh, God, I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to punch him square in his perfect jaw. How come I had to get all of the pain? It's all very well some guy – a strong, fit guy with much wider hips than me and a good, strong abdomen to push from – to tell me that it was going to be okay.

Instead, I remembered myself, and the fact that, although Edward _did _in fact put this soul sucking, energy draining demon spawn inside of me, it _was _what I wanted, and _hopefully, _in just a few long hours, we'd have said Demon Spawn snuggled up in a blanket. So, I sucked it up and tried to smile bravely for all of our sakes.

Another contraction hit, and Edward seemed stuck between watching my agonized face and looking at the monitor strapped to my abdomen that was measuring the contractions and both my and Spawn's heartbeat. The fucking needle almost jumped off the page. That one had been a lot more intense than the previous ones.

Alicia took a few seconds to study the readout, looked me over, and got back to her feet. "You just let me know when you want something for the pain; you can have anything you like now."

_Oh, thank God. _I wanted to kiss that woman so hard. "Please, now," I whispered.

"Sure, sweetie." I tried to ignore the term of endearment from the girl ten years my junior. "What would you like? Would you like me to have you set up for an epidural?"

I'd not been keen on pain relief to that extent. Yes, the pain was just awful, but you know what? I _wanted_ to feel like I'd gone through childbirth. All of my friends cheered for epidurals, spinal blocks, and Cesarean sections, but something inside of me pushed me to want to try a slightly more natural birth. I'd discussed this with Edward, and although he'd argued till he was blue in the face about not wanting me to go through all the pain when there were drugs available to make the experience more... pleasant... I won. He told me that he'd support me no matter what I wanted to do – and as long as both me and our child were safe. He should, since I was the one doing all of the work here.

"Not an epidural... just yet," I requested. "Perhaps later, but I want to try something less invasive."

"Sure, whatever you want. Have you thought of what you might like?"

I grunted once again as another and even stronger pain gripped me. I bent over on my side and leaned into Edward who resumed massaging my lower back.

"I don't know... can't think," I admitted as I looked to Edward for support. I could see he was clenching his jaw and trying to be strong for me. He was just such an incredible guy. He was trying so hard to hold it all together for me.

"We can do whatever you like, sweetie," Edward whispered to me. "You don't have to go through this pain. No one will think any less of you if you have something to take it away."

I nodded as another pain shot across my swollen abdomen. "I'm good..." I groaned. He massaged my back gently. "I want to carry on; I think I can do this for a little longer." I figured as I wasn't screaming the place down yet, I could hold off on the pain relief a little longer.

Alicia rested her hand on mine. "It's up to you, Bella. If you change your mind, then you press the call button. I'm just going to make some preparations and make sure we have everything that you need for your delivery. I won't be too long, but if you need anything, you just call, okay?"

"Okay," I said, and Edward nodded in thanks and took my hand.

~DW~

_Oh. My. God. Why in the fuck did I turn down pain relief two hours ago? _ I thought as I leaned forward and onto my hands and knees, a mountain of pillows holding me in place. The rule where you were supposed to dilate one centimeter per hour? Yeah, sometimes it's so not true. I figured I could deal with the pain and hold off on the epidural, and in the space of less than two hours, I'd progressed to the full ten centimeters.

I pressed my chin to my chest and rocked forward as I moaned loudly, but when I say 'moaned', it was more like a "moo." I sounded like I was a dying cow. The noise escaping from my mouth certainly didn't sound human.

Edward was out of his seat and standing close by my bed, trying to be useful. He offered me water regularly and rubbed my back. Several times, I had to bite back the abuse I wanted to fling at him and not tell him to shut the hell up and sit the fuck down.

"You're doing so well, Bella; come on, baby. It won't be long now," he encouraged.

I swore he'd said it several times already. I screwed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Bella, on this one, you can push!" yelled from my doctor from her position at my butt. Yeah, I was kneeling with my bare ass in the poor woman's face, but she didn't seem to mind and said that if I was comfortable, it was a good position for the baby as it would help it come down the birth canal. Apparently, it also gave her a good view of everything. Eww.

"Now, chin to your chest and push! So hard, get angry, Bella. Edward, help her out! Come on, Daddy, count with me! Push! One, two, three, four... yes, that's it! Keep going; take a quick breath if you need to! Five, six, seven eight... good girl, well done! Take a breather, and on the next one, I need you to do the same again – just harder, okay?"

_Harder? Oh, shit, I feel like I want to poop! WHAT IF I POOP! And what's with all the fucking cheering? She must have been a cheerleader in her earlier days… ugh._

Edward swiped a cold, wet washcloth over my face and neck, and I took a moment to relax into the mountain of pillows that were there to support me.

"I don't think I can do this," I panted, feeling as if the pain were about to cut me in half. Why, oh, why didn't I take the drugs when I had the chance? Stupid! That's what I was!

Edward coughed slightly. "Bella, sweetie, you can't change your mind now."

I glared at him. I was giving birth – I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to! Unfortunately, Demon Spawn had other ideas, though. And so, the power struggle between mother and child had already begun!

"I'm not doing this," I said stubbornly. "Edward, I want to go home. Get my stuff."

"Bella…" He stared, looking panicked. "Honey... you can't..."

"The fuck I can't," I growled at him and tried to move my whale's body into a sitting position.

Alicia put a hand on my knee. "Bella, honey, I don't think that's such a good idea," she said soothingly.

Stupid, perky, know-it-all, twenty-something... with her flat stomach and boobs that stayed in place. I didn't have to listen to her!

"Well, I want to..." I started, and then the damn floodgates opened again. "I-I c-c-can't d-do this," I wailed between sobs. "And I w-want m-my m-m-mom!"

Edward looked perplexed, and he gingerly reached out to me. I flinched away from his touch, but at the very same moment, another contraction struck, and I found myself flat on my back. Like a flash, Alicia was at my side with the doctor down by my legs and peering in between my open thighs. "Come on now, Bella, PUSH! Really give it some effort!"

What the hell does she think I'm doing? Sitting back and sipping a latte? I'll show her _effort_.

I yelled loudly as I pushed with all the strength I had left. Everything felt like it was stretching. I tried to mentally block out her stupid little sing-song voice as she counted to ten. I felt the sweat bead and drop down my forehead.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the pain subsided, and my head flopped back, my knees falling together. My eyes were still screwed shut, and I fought for my breath. I was beyond exhausted.

"Bella, I can see the head. When you're pushing, your baby is coming down really well. Another couple of big pushes like that and you'll soon be meeting your baby!"

_Okay, I can do this. Just a couple more. _I tried to pep myself up for the next round of pushes, but I was beyond exhausted and was ready to just curl up and sleep for the next month. Demon Spawn, however, was having none of that and was ready to make its entrance into the world.

Alicia readjusted my legs. "Okay, Bella, push really, really hard this time. Ready? One, two, three!"

And I gave it all I had. I thought I was probably bursting some blood vessels in my brain, but at the moment, I didn't care. All I wanted was to get this thing out of me. Oh, my God, the burning. There was this immense pressure and then the overwhelming heat. I almost cried out for someone to fetch me an icepack for my hoo-ha! I kept pushing, screaming out loudly as I ran out of breath.

I collapsed back on my pillow again and heard a strange sucking sound.

"Bella, the head's out! Come on, one more big push!"

If I had had the strength, I would have kicked her in the head for that damn perkiness. I expected to see her kicking her legs up with pompoms in her hands. As it was, all I could do was bear down and try to push this kid out, one last time. If this didn't work, I didn't care what they said. I was done and going home.

"One more, baby, one more," Edward said encouragingly beside me. I swear, I think he was crying. He kept looking at whatever was going on between my legs then back up at me.

I nodded and pushed when I was told to. I heard what sounded like a demonic growl and suddenly realized it was coming from me. Huh. I let out the scary growl one more time and felt the thing slip out of me. I collapsed back onto the bed, utterly spent. I was ready to drift off to sleep when I heard the loud wail let out by the thing I had just pushed out of my body.

_Oh, my. _It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

"Here we go, Mommy! Congratulations!" cried Alicia as she suddenly whipped my hospital gown up and shoved the slimy, wriggly, and squirmy little pink monster onto my naked chest. My arms automatically wrapped around it and cradled it to me.

"Oh... o...oh, my God," I whispered as the floodgates, once again, opened. I thought the fucking hormones were supposed to go away as soon as you'd expelled the small creature? "What is it?" I asked.

Edward leaned in and looked at our new, tiny person. "It... it's a... it's a baby," he whispered in awe.

I blinked and then turned my attention to my chest. Alicia had strategically placed a towel over the two of us, and I peeked under it. Edward and I had requested in our birthing plan that we'd like to discover the sex of our child for ourselves, so it was finally the moment of truth. We had been waiting months and months for this moment to finally happen. Edward leveled his head with mine and looked. We both grinned at one another when we got a really good glimpse of our offspring for the first time.

Our tiny little daughter was staring at us both with the hugest blue eyes we'd ever seen. She was so quiet and content with just staring at us, almost as though she was taking her brand new world in for the first time.

"Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy," Alicia whispered once again and took a step back, for a moment. She began to hand the doctor whatever she needed to clean and stitch me back together again while the nurse from the nursery started to prepare the scales so that the baby could be weighed and have her length measured.

"Edward... look..." I whispered as the tears flowed freely down my cheeks.

Edward grinned at me and pressed a soft kiss to my lips and then leaned over and kissed our daughter's forehead gently. "You know, we did this, together. So perfect." He sniffed quietly. Edward was crying.

~DW~

Baby Gwendolyn Stacey Cullen was perfectly healthy and weighed in at a ginormous nine pounds and two ounces. My hoo-ha required four stitches, and Edward had a bruised right hand with perfect little crescent shaped indents where my fingernails had been. His hand repaired itself a lot faster than my womanly parts. I thought I'd never be the same again down there.

After they cleaned me and the baby up and made us presentable, Carlisle and Esme reappeared in the room. Had they been here this whole time?

"Let me see my grandbaby!" Esme cooed softly.

My arms tightened instinctively around Gwen. I wasn't ready to hand her over just yet. The momma bear inside of me was out, and she was ready to scratch the eyes out of anyone who came too close to my precious little person. I wasn't a total bitch, however, and did, begrudgingly, hand her over. My eyes were constantly on her little face.

It wasn't long before Gwen's eyes screwed shut, her features turned into a little grimace, and she wailed. Esme cradled my daughter closer to her chest and tried to soothe her. I wanted to jump right out of my hospital bed and grab her, but my tired, aching body was having none of it.

Thankfully, Alicia came to the rescue. "Wow, sounds like someone is getting hungry! Bella, how do you feel like trying to nurse Gwendolyn?"

Nurse? Like, with my boobs? In front of everyone? I felt my face grow hot at the thought. Edward's father was in here! "Um..."

Alicia redeemed herself in my eyes when she shooed the visitors out of the room. "Let's give the new mommy some privacy."

Suddenly, the door was flung open, and my mom came rushing into the room. "Oh, Bella! Oh, my baby! Did I miss the birth?"

I nodded with my head to the bundle now safe in my arms. "Yeah... um, Mom... how-how did you get here?" I was almost speechless.

My mother flapped her arms like a chicken. "Oh, baby, Edward called me when you went into labor, and I grabbed the first plane. Oh, my baby just had a baby!"

I glared at Edward. Traitor! Don't get me wrong. I love my mom, but she's so harebrained that having her around at a time like this was always stressful. Very stressful. I almost laughed at the expressions on Carlisle's and Esme's faces as they gaped at my mom in her flowing peasant skirt, overlarge shirt, and flip flops. "Did you call Charlie, too?" I asked accusingly.

Edward nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, but he said he would be by after he got off work tonight."

Thank God. Both of my parents in the same room was enough to make me run and hide. On top of that, I'd just pushed another human being out of my body only an hour ago. It was enough to make me want to open the window and jump.

Gwen let out another loud and rather piercing scream, letting us know that she was still with us and still hungry. I looked around uncomfortably and then longingly at Edward, hoping that he'd get the message and remove everyone, my mother included, out of the cramped little hospital room. He did and ushered them out. My mom tried to protest, but to my surprise, Esme linked her arm with my mother's and led her out of the room, mentioning something about coffee. I sighed in relief.

"It's overwhelming, isn't it?" asked Alicia, knowingly. I nodded and exhaled.

"It's crazy; can't we just hide out in here forever? I don't want to share her just yet."

Alicia smiled, and Edward took my hand. "I can ask them all to leave, if you want."

I shook my head. "Ignore me; I'm just being weird." Edward insisted that I wasn't; he had, apparently, read in his daddy book that it was natural for me to be feeling protective over my child and that it was perfectly normal. He also said that it was perfectly fine to ask nosy family members to leave.

"It's fine, really. I want them here," I lied. "It's just a bit much all at once, you know?"

Alicia took Gwen for a moment and asked me to lift up my shirt. Together, we positioned Gwen at my breast. It was tricky at first to get her to latch on, but after a few attempts, she grabbed hold of me like a little leech and started sucking happily away. Her eyes rolled back into her head as I held her head in place and her body close to mine.

Nursing was strange. It was a little uncomfortable at first, and sometimes, if your baby didn't latch on fully, it could be painful. But it was simply, to me, the most amazing thing ever. Knowing that you were the sole provider for this tiny person was pretty incredible. And daunting.

After about ten minutes, and after what Alicia told me was a successful meal, Gwen stopped sucking, and her little mouth opened and dropped my nipple. She had fallen asleep. Edward was itching to hold her again, so I gestured for him to take her from me.

Sitting in the recliner by the bed, Edward held our baby close to his chest. He placed little kisses to her forehead and whispered things to her that I couldn't hear. He looked so perfect with her. He looked like a daddy... he was so relaxed with her and happy. I knew that he was built for this. He was a complete natural.

I knew I'd have no worries with him, and I was glad he wanted to be in it for the long haul. Although I was prepared, at first, to do this mom thing alone, I was now certain that I was going to have fun sharing it with Edward.

His parents were back in the room, along with my mother. They were taking turns passing Gwen around and awing and oohing over the perfect little bundle. I was exhausted and found myself slipping in and out of sleep.

Charlie slipped into the room and walked over to my bed, giving me an awkward, one-armed hug. "Hey, Bells. Everything okay?"

I nodded. If I wasn't mistaken, I thought Charlie's eyes were a bit moist, but I had to be wrong. Charlie didn't cry.

"So, Edward," Charlie said, "when are you planning on making an honest woman out of my little girl?"

Edward gulped. "Well, sir..."

"Dad," I interrupted. "Don't... please... not now…"

Charlie grimaced. "Fine, but just so you know, I'm expecting a ring on your finger – soon." He looked over at Edward, and a smile came over his face. "Just you wait, Edward. When she starts dating" –he nodded in Gwen's direction– "you'll understand what I'm going through."

A look of horror came over Edward's face. "Dating?" he whispered.

Charlie grinned in glee. "Yep... _boys_. Lots and lots of boys. You just wait."

Edward looked over at me. "B-boys? N-no, no way. No boys. Ever."

I laughed. "Edward, I think you have a while before you have to start worrying about that."

He shook his head, his face a pale white. "Huh uh, Bella. No boys. She can't date... ever. Or do… you know…"

I rolled my eyes and settled down into my hospital bed in an attempt to get comfortable. "Sure, honey. Whatever you say," I replied with a big yawn. I looked around at all of the people in my room – a blending of my and Edward's family.

Gwen was born into a special sort of family... Edward and I were still on our journey of discovery, yet Gwen would have the stability of lots of amazing people who already loved her unconditionally.

And Edward would have several years to deal with the boy problem. I smiled as I slipped into sleep, feeling nothing but love from everyone in the room. A year ago, I was alone with only the dream of having my own family.

Today, I was living my dream. And I couldn't want anything more.


End file.
